diff --git a/hw/display/qxl.c b/hw/display/qxl.c
index 55d13a7ca7..93b3518b21 100644
--- a/hw/display/qxl.c
+++ b/hw/display/qxl.c
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ static void qxl_reset_memslots(PCIQXLDevice *d);
 static void qxl_reset_surfaces(PCIQXLDevice *d);
 static void qxl_ring_set_dirty(PCIQXLDevice *qxl);
 
+static void qxl_hw_update(void *opaque);
+
 void qxl_set_guest_bug(PCIQXLDevice *qxl, const char *msg, ...)
 {
     trace_qxl_set_guest_bug(qxl->id);
@@ -1076,6 +1078,10 @@ static const QXLInterface qxl_interface = {
     .client_monitors_config = interface_client_monitors_config,
 };
 
+static const GraphicHwOps qxl_ops = {
+    .gfx_update  = qxl_hw_update,
+};
+
 static void qxl_enter_vga_mode(PCIQXLDevice *d)
 {
     if (d->mode == QXL_MODE_VGA) {
@@ -1085,6 +1091,7 @@ static void qxl_enter_vga_mode(PCIQXLDevice *d)
 #if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION >= 0x000c03 /* release 0.12.3 */
     spice_qxl_driver_unload(&d->ssd.qxl);
 #endif
+    graphic_console_set_hwops(d->ssd.dcl.con, d->vga.hw_ops, &d->vga);
     qemu_spice_create_host_primary(&d->ssd);
     d->mode = QXL_MODE_VGA;
     vga_dirty_log_start(&d->vga);
@@ -1097,6 +1104,7 @@ static void qxl_exit_vga_mode(PCIQXLDevice *d)
         return;
     }
     trace_qxl_exit_vga_mode(d->id);
+    graphic_console_set_hwops(d->ssd.dcl.con, &qxl_ops, d);
     vga_dirty_log_stop(&d->vga);
     qxl_destroy_primary(d, QXL_SYNC);
 }
@@ -1756,41 +1764,8 @@ static void qxl_send_events(PCIQXLDevice *d, uint32_t events)
 static void qxl_hw_update(void *opaque)
 {
     PCIQXLDevice *qxl = opaque;
-    VGACommonState *vga = &qxl->vga;
 
-    switch (qxl->mode) {
-    case QXL_MODE_VGA:
-        vga->hw_ops->gfx_update(vga);
-        break;
-    case QXL_MODE_COMPAT:
-    case QXL_MODE_NATIVE:
-        qxl_render_update(qxl);
-        break;
-    default:
-        break;
-    }
-}
-
-static void qxl_hw_invalidate(void *opaque)
-{
-    PCIQXLDevice *qxl = opaque;
-    VGACommonState *vga = &qxl->vga;
-
-    if (qxl->mode == QXL_MODE_VGA) {
-        vga->hw_ops->invalidate(vga);
-        return;
-    }
-}
-
-static void qxl_hw_text_update(void *opaque, console_ch_t *chardata)
-{
-    PCIQXLDevice *qxl = opaque;
-    VGACommonState *vga = &qxl->vga;
-
-    if (qxl->mode == QXL_MODE_VGA) {
-        vga->hw_ops->text_update(vga, chardata);
-        return;
-    }
+    qxl_render_update(qxl);
 }
 
 static void qxl_dirty_surfaces(PCIQXLDevice *qxl)
@@ -2049,12 +2024,6 @@ static int qxl_init_common(PCIQXLDevice *qxl)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static const GraphicHwOps qxl_ops = {
-    .invalidate  = qxl_hw_invalidate,
-    .gfx_update  = qxl_hw_update,
-    .text_update = qxl_hw_text_update,
-};
-
 static int qxl_init_primary(PCIDevice *dev)
 {
     PCIQXLDevice *qxl = DO_UPCAST(PCIQXLDevice, pci, dev);
diff --git a/include/ui/console.h b/include/ui/console.h
index cde0faf6e5..22ef8ca6b3 100644
--- a/include/ui/console.h
+++ b/include/ui/console.h
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ typedef struct GraphicHwOps {
 QemuConsole *graphic_console_init(DeviceState *dev, uint32_t head,
                                   const GraphicHwOps *ops,
                                   void *opaque);
+void graphic_console_set_hwops(QemuConsole *con,
+                               const GraphicHwOps *hw_ops,
+                               void *opaque);
 
 void graphic_hw_update(QemuConsole *con);
 void graphic_hw_invalidate(QemuConsole *con);
diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index f819382b24..258af5dfff 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -1677,6 +1677,14 @@ DisplayState *init_displaystate(void)
     return display_state;
 }
 
+void graphic_console_set_hwops(QemuConsole *con,
+                               const GraphicHwOps *hw_ops,
+                               void *opaque)
+{
+    con->hw_ops = hw_ops;
+    con->hw = opaque;
+}
+
 QemuConsole *graphic_console_init(DeviceState *dev, uint32_t head,
                                   const GraphicHwOps *hw_ops,
                                   void *opaque)
@@ -1691,8 +1699,7 @@ QemuConsole *graphic_console_init(DeviceState *dev, uint32_t head,
     ds = get_alloc_displaystate();
     trace_console_gfx_new();
     s = new_console(ds, GRAPHIC_CONSOLE, head);
-    s->hw_ops = hw_ops;
-    s->hw = opaque;
+    graphic_console_set_hwops(s, hw_ops, opaque);
     if (dev) {
         object_property_set_link(OBJECT(s), OBJECT(dev), "device",
                                  &error_abort);