diff --git a/chardev/char-parallel.c b/chardev/char-parallel.c
index a5164f975a..78697d7522 100644
--- a/chardev/char-parallel.c
+++ b/chardev/char-parallel.c
@@ -164,13 +164,13 @@ static void qemu_chr_open_pp_fd(Chardev *chr,
 {
     ParallelChardev *drv = PARALLEL_CHARDEV(chr);
 
+    drv->fd = fd;
+
     if (ioctl(fd, PPCLAIM) < 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "not a parallel port");
-        close(fd);
         return;
     }
 
-    drv->fd = fd;
     drv->mode = IEEE1284_MODE_COMPAT;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ */
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_open_pp_fd(Chardev *chr,
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL
 static void qmp_chardev_open_parallel(Chardev *chr,
                                       ChardevBackend *backend,
                                       bool *be_opened,
@@ -306,3 +307,5 @@ static void register_types(void)
 }
 
 type_init(register_types);
+
+#endif  /* HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL */
diff --git a/chardev/meson.build b/chardev/meson.build
index c80337d15f..70070a8279 100644
--- a/chardev/meson.build
+++ b/chardev/meson.build
@@ -21,11 +21,9 @@ if host_os == 'windows'
 else
   chardev_ss.add(files(
       'char-fd.c',
+      'char-parallel.c',
       'char-pty.c',
     ), util)
-  if host_os in ['linux', 'gnu/kfreebsd', 'freebsd', 'dragonfly']
-    chardev_ss.add(files('char-parallel.c'))
-  endif
 endif
 
 chardev_ss = chardev_ss.apply({})
diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
index 7b0c59919e..5a2305ccd6 100644
--- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
@@ -387,6 +387,14 @@ Specifying the iSCSI password in plain text on the command line using the
 used instead, to refer to a ``--object secret...`` instance that provides
 a password via a file, or encrypted.
 
+Character device options
+''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+Backend ``memory`` (since 9.0)
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+``memory`` is a deprecated synonym for ``ringbuf``.
+
 CPU device properties
 '''''''''''''''''''''
 
diff --git a/include/qemu/osdep.h b/include/qemu/osdep.h
index 7d359dabc4..c7053cdc2b 100644
--- a/include/qemu/osdep.h
+++ b/include/qemu/osdep.h
@@ -508,11 +508,18 @@ void qemu_anon_ram_free(void *ptr, size_t size);
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL 1
-#elif defined(__linux__) || defined(__sun__) || defined(__FreeBSD__)    \
+#define HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL 1
+#else
+#if defined(__linux__) || defined(__sun__) || defined(__FreeBSD__)   \
     || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__) \
     || defined(__GLIBC__) || defined(__APPLE__)
 #define HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL 1
 #endif
+#if defined(__linux__) || defined(__FreeBSD__) \
+    || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__) || defined(__DragonFly__)
+#define HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL 1
+#endif
+#endif
 
 #if defined(__HAIKU__)
 #define SIGIO SIGPOLL
diff --git a/qapi/char.json b/qapi/char.json
index 390e3ef1b9..2b786104f8 100644
--- a/qapi/char.json
+++ b/qapi/char.json
@@ -468,12 +468,16 @@
 #
 # @memory: Since 1.5
 #
+# Features:
+#
+# @deprecated: Member @memory is deprecated.  Use @ringbuf instead.
+#
 # Since: 1.4
 ##
 { 'enum': 'ChardevBackendKind',
   'data': [ 'file',
-            'serial',
-            'parallel',
+            { 'name': 'serial', 'if': 'HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL' },
+            { 'name': 'parallel', 'if': 'HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL' },
             'pipe',
             'socket',
             'udp',
@@ -482,18 +486,17 @@
             'mux',
             'msmouse',
             'wctablet',
-            'braille',
+            { 'name': 'braille', 'if': 'CONFIG_BRLAPI' },
             'testdev',
             'stdio',
-            'console',
+            { 'name': 'console', 'if': 'CONFIG_WIN32' },
             { 'name': 'spicevmc', 'if': 'CONFIG_SPICE' },
             { 'name': 'spiceport', 'if': 'CONFIG_SPICE' },
             { 'name': 'qemu-vdagent', 'if': 'CONFIG_SPICE_PROTOCOL' },
             { 'name': 'dbus', 'if': 'CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY' },
             'vc',
             'ringbuf',
-            # next one is just for compatibility
-            'memory' ] }
+            { 'name': 'memory', 'features': [ 'deprecated' ] } ] }
 
 ##
 # @ChardevFileWrapper:
@@ -642,8 +645,10 @@
   'base': { 'type': 'ChardevBackendKind' },
   'discriminator': 'type',
   'data': { 'file': 'ChardevFileWrapper',
-            'serial': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
-            'parallel': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
+            'serial': { 'type': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
+                        'if': 'HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL' },
+            'parallel': { 'type': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
+                          'if': 'HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL' },
             'pipe': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
             'socket': 'ChardevSocketWrapper',
             'udp': 'ChardevUdpWrapper',
@@ -652,10 +657,12 @@
             'mux': 'ChardevMuxWrapper',
             'msmouse': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
             'wctablet': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
-            'braille': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
+            'braille': { 'type': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
+                         'if': 'CONFIG_BRLAPI' },
             'testdev': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
             'stdio': 'ChardevStdioWrapper',
-            'console': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
+            'console': { 'type': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
+                         'if': 'CONFIG_WIN32' },
             'spicevmc': { 'type': 'ChardevSpiceChannelWrapper',
                           'if': 'CONFIG_SPICE' },
             'spiceport': { 'type': 'ChardevSpicePortWrapper',
@@ -666,7 +673,6 @@
                       'if': 'CONFIG_DBUS_DISPLAY' },
             'vc': 'ChardevVCWrapper',
             'ringbuf': 'ChardevRingbufWrapper',
-            # next one is just for compatibility
             'memory': 'ChardevRingbufWrapper' } }
 
 ##
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-char.c b/tests/unit/test-char.c
index 649fdf64e1..f273ce5226 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-char.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-char.c
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ static int make_udp_socket(int *port)
     socklen_t alen = sizeof(addr);
     int ret, sock = qemu_socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 
-    g_assert_cmpint(sock, >, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(sock, >=, 0);
     addr.sin_family = AF_INET ;
     addr.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_ANY);
     addr.sin_port = 0;
@@ -1203,6 +1203,30 @@ static void char_serial_test(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL) && !defined(WIN32)
+static void char_parallel_test(void)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    Chardev *chr;
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("chardev"), "parallel-id",
+                            1, &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "parallel", &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", "/dev/null", &error_abort);
+
+    chr = qemu_chr_new_from_opts(opts, NULL, NULL);
+#ifdef __linux__
+    /* fails to PPCLAIM, see qemu_chr_open_pp_fd() */
+    g_assert_null(chr);
+#else
+    g_assert_nonnull(chr);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(chr));
+#endif
+
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifndef _WIN32
 static void char_file_fifo_test(void)
 {
@@ -1383,7 +1407,7 @@ static void char_hotswap_test(void)
 
     int port;
     int sock = make_udp_socket(&port);
-    g_assert_cmpint(sock, >, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(sock, >=, 0);
 
     chr_args = g_strdup_printf("udp:127.0.0.1:%d", port);
 
@@ -1544,6 +1568,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     g_test_add_func("/char/udp", char_udp_test);
 #if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL) && !defined(WIN32)
     g_test_add_func("/char/serial", char_serial_test);
+#endif
+#if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL) && !defined(WIN32)
+    g_test_add_func("/char/parallel", char_parallel_test);
 #endif
     g_test_add_func("/char/hotswap", char_hotswap_test);
     g_test_add_func("/char/websocket", char_websock_test);