diff --git a/hw/qxl.c b/hw/qxl.c
index c2dd3b471b..95bbc031c0 100644
--- a/hw/qxl.c
+++ b/hw/qxl.c
@@ -958,9 +958,10 @@ static void qxl_update_irq(PCIQXLDevice *d)
 static void qxl_check_state(PCIQXLDevice *d)
 {
     QXLRam *ram = d->ram;
+    int spice_display_running = qemu_spice_display_is_running(&d->ssd);
 
-    assert(!d->ssd.running || SPICE_RING_IS_EMPTY(&ram->cmd_ring));
-    assert(!d->ssd.running || SPICE_RING_IS_EMPTY(&ram->cursor_ring));
+    assert(!spice_display_running || SPICE_RING_IS_EMPTY(&ram->cmd_ring));
+    assert(!spice_display_running || SPICE_RING_IS_EMPTY(&ram->cursor_ring));
 }
 
 static void qxl_reset_state(PCIQXLDevice *d)
@@ -1538,7 +1539,7 @@ static void qxl_send_events(PCIQXLDevice *d, uint32_t events)
     uint32_t old_pending;
     uint32_t le_events = cpu_to_le32(events);
 
-    assert(d->ssd.running);
+    assert(qemu_spice_display_is_running(&d->ssd));
     old_pending = __sync_fetch_and_or(&d->ram->int_pending, le_events);
     if ((old_pending & le_events) == le_events) {
         return;
diff --git a/ui/spice-core.c b/ui/spice-core.c
index a515c946ca..1a7a773457 100644
--- a/ui/spice-core.c
+++ b/ui/spice-core.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "migration.h"
 #include "monitor.h"
 #include "hw/hw.h"
+#include "spice-display.h"
 
 /* core bits */
 
@@ -551,9 +552,11 @@ static void vm_change_state_handler(void *opaque, int running,
 {
 #if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION >= 0x000b02 /* 0.11.2 */
     if (running) {
+        qemu_spice_display_start();
         spice_server_vm_start(spice_server);
     } else {
         spice_server_vm_stop(spice_server);
+        qemu_spice_display_stop();
     }
 #endif
 }
@@ -755,6 +758,7 @@ int qemu_spice_add_interface(SpiceBaseInstance *sin)
         spice_server = spice_server_new();
         spice_server_init(spice_server, &core_interface);
     }
+
     return spice_server_add_interface(spice_server, sin);
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.c b/ui/spice-display.c
index 3e8f0b3ad5..1c31418a4c 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.c
+++ b/ui/spice-display.c
@@ -126,18 +126,44 @@ void qemu_spice_wakeup(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
     ssd->worker->wakeup(ssd->worker);
 }
 
-void qemu_spice_start(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
+#if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION < 0x000b02 /* before 0.11.2 */
+static void qemu_spice_start(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 {
     trace_qemu_spice_start(ssd->qxl.id);
     ssd->worker->start(ssd->worker);
 }
 
-void qemu_spice_stop(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
+static void qemu_spice_stop(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 {
     trace_qemu_spice_stop(ssd->qxl.id);
     ssd->worker->stop(ssd->worker);
 }
 
+#else
+
+static int spice_display_is_running;
+
+void qemu_spice_display_start(void)
+{
+    spice_display_is_running = true;
+}
+
+void qemu_spice_display_stop(void)
+{
+    spice_display_is_running = false;
+}
+
+#endif
+
+int qemu_spice_display_is_running(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
+{
+#if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION < 0x000b02 /* before 0.11.2 */
+    return ssd->running;
+#else
+    return spice_display_is_running;
+#endif
+}
+
 static SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 {
     SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
@@ -272,6 +298,7 @@ void qemu_spice_destroy_host_primary(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 void qemu_spice_vm_change_state_handler(void *opaque, int running,
                                         RunState state)
 {
+#if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION < 0x000b02 /* before 0.11.2 */
     SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd = opaque;
 
     if (running) {
@@ -281,6 +308,7 @@ void qemu_spice_vm_change_state_handler(void *opaque, int running,
         qemu_spice_stop(ssd);
         ssd->running = false;
     }
+#endif
 }
 
 void qemu_spice_display_init_common(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd, DisplayState *ds)
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.h b/ui/spice-display.h
index 12e50b6efc..672d65ec32 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.h
+++ b/ui/spice-display.h
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@ struct SimpleSpiceDisplay {
 
     QXLRect dirty;
     int notify;
+#if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION < 0x000b02 /* before 0.11.2 */
     int running;
+#endif
 
     /*
      * All struct members below this comment can be accessed from
@@ -129,5 +131,8 @@ void qemu_spice_create_primary_surface(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd, uint32_t id,
 void qemu_spice_destroy_primary_surface(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd,
                                         uint32_t id, qxl_async_io async);
 void qemu_spice_wakeup(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);
-void qemu_spice_start(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);
-void qemu_spice_stop(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);
+#if SPICE_SERVER_VERSION >= 0x000b02 /* before 0.11.2 */
+void qemu_spice_display_start(void);
+void qemu_spice_display_stop(void);
+#endif
+int qemu_spice_display_is_running(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);