diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 94508300c3..6e58c1d08d 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2700,6 +2700,12 @@ static void user_register_global_props(void)
                       global_init_func, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
+static int do_configure_icount(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
+{
+    configure_icount(opts, errp);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
     int i;
@@ -4010,6 +4016,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
      * Note: uses machine properties such as kernel-irqchip, must run
      * after machine_set_property().
      */
+    qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("icount"),
+                      do_configure_icount, NULL, &error_fatal);
     configure_accelerator(current_machine, argv[0]);
 
     /*
@@ -4095,13 +4103,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     qemu_spice_init();
 
     cpu_ticks_init();
-    if (icount_opts) {
-        if (!tcg_enabled()) {
-            error_report("-icount is not allowed with hardware virtualization");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-        configure_icount(icount_opts, &error_abort);
-        qemu_opts_del(icount_opts);
+    if (use_icount && !(tcg_enabled() || qtest_enabled())) {
+        error_report("-icount is not allowed with hardware virtualization");
+        exit(1);
     }
 
     if (tcg_enabled()) {