diff --git a/include/monitor/qmp-helpers.h b/include/monitor/qmp-helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4718c63c73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/monitor/qmp-helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+ * QMP command helpers
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Markus Armbruster <armbru@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2.  See
+ * the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#ifndef MONITOR_QMP_HELPERS_H
+
+bool qmp_add_client_spice(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                        bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp);
+#ifdef CONFIG_VNC
+bool qmp_add_client_vnc(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                        bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp);
+#endif
+#ifdef CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY
+bool qmp_add_client_dbus_display(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                        bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp);
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
index 61449f1b58..b5b736761a 100644
--- a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
+++ b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
@@ -17,13 +17,11 @@
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "qemu/option.h"
 #include "monitor/monitor.h"
+#include "monitor/qmp-helpers.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "qemu/config-file.h"
 #include "qemu/uuid.h"
 #include "chardev/char.h"
-#include "ui/qemu-spice.h"
-#include "ui/console.h"
-#include "ui/dbus-display.h"
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
 #include "sysemu/runstate.h"
 #include "sysemu/runstate-action.h"
@@ -170,54 +168,48 @@ void qmp_add_client(const char *protocol, const char *fdname,
                     bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth, bool has_tls, bool tls,
                     Error **errp)
 {
+    static struct {
+        const char *name;
+        bool (*add_client)(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                           bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp);
+    } protocol_table[] = {
+        { "spice", qmp_add_client_spice },
+#ifdef CONFIG_VNC
+        { "vnc", qmp_add_client_vnc },
+#endif
+#ifdef CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY
+        { "@dbus-display", qmp_add_client_dbus_display },
+#endif
+    };
     Chardev *s;
-    int fd;
+    int fd, i;
 
     fd = monitor_get_fd(monitor_cur(), fdname, errp);
     if (fd < 0) {
         return;
     }
 
-    if (strcmp(protocol, "spice") == 0) {
-        if (!qemu_using_spice(errp)) {
-            close(fd);
-            return;
-        }
-        skipauth = has_skipauth ? skipauth : false;
-        tls = has_tls ? tls : false;
-        if (qemu_spice.display_add_client(fd, skipauth, tls) < 0) {
-            error_setg(errp, "spice failed to add client");
-            close(fd);
-        }
-#ifdef CONFIG_VNC
-    } else if (strcmp(protocol, "vnc") == 0) {
-        skipauth = has_skipauth ? skipauth : false;
-        vnc_display_add_client(NULL, fd, skipauth);
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY
-    } else if (strcmp(protocol, "@dbus-display") == 0) {
-        if (!qemu_using_dbus_display(errp)) {
-            close(fd);
-            return;
-        }
-        if (!qemu_dbus_display.add_client(fd, errp)) {
-            close(fd);
-            return;
-        }
-#endif
-    } else {
-        s = qemu_chr_find(protocol);
-        if (!s) {
-            error_setg(errp, "protocol '%s' is invalid", protocol);
-            close(fd);
-            return;
-        }
-        if (qemu_chr_add_client(s, fd) < 0) {
-            error_setg(errp, "failed to add client");
-            close(fd);
+    for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(protocol_table); i++) {
+        if (!strcmp(protocol, protocol_table[i].name)) {
+            if (!protocol_table[i].add_client(fd, has_skipauth, skipauth,
+                                              has_tls, tls, errp)) {
+                close(fd);
+            }
             return;
         }
     }
+
+    s = qemu_chr_find(protocol);
+    if (!s) {
+        error_setg(errp, "protocol '%s' is invalid", protocol);
+        close(fd);
+        return;
+    }
+    if (qemu_chr_add_client(s, fd) < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "failed to add client");
+        close(fd);
+        return;
+    }
 }
 
 MemoryDeviceInfoList *qmp_query_memory_devices(Error **errp)
diff --git a/ui/ui-qmp-cmds.c b/ui/ui-qmp-cmds.c
index c9f92caf1d..dbc4afcd73 100644
--- a/ui/ui-qmp-cmds.c
+++ b/ui/ui-qmp-cmds.c
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "monitor/qmp-helpers.h"
 #include "qapi/qapi-commands-ui.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qerror.h"
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "ui/console.h"
+#include "ui/dbus-display.h"
 #include "ui/qemu-spice.h"
 
 void qmp_set_password(SetPasswordOptions *opts, Error **errp)
@@ -103,6 +105,45 @@ void qmp_change_vnc_password(const char *password, Error **errp)
 }
 #endif
 
+bool qmp_add_client_spice(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                          bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp)
+{
+    if (!qemu_using_spice(errp)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    skipauth = has_skipauth ? skipauth : false;
+    tls = has_tls ? tls : false;
+    if (qemu_spice.display_add_client(fd, skipauth, tls) < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "spice failed to add client");
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_VNC
+bool qmp_add_client_vnc(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                        bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp)
+{
+    skipauth = has_skipauth ? skipauth : false;
+    vnc_display_add_client(NULL, fd, skipauth);
+    return true;
+}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY
+bool qmp_add_client_dbus_display(int fd, bool has_skipauth, bool skipauth,
+                                 bool has_tls, bool tls, Error **errp)
+{
+    if (!qemu_using_dbus_display(errp)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (!qemu_dbus_display.add_client(fd, errp)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+#endif
+
 void qmp_display_reload(DisplayReloadOptions *arg, Error **errp)
 {
     switch (arg->type) {