diff --git a/chardev/char-socket.c b/chardev/char-socket.c
index b7863b8aae..06a37c0cc8 100644
--- a/chardev/char-socket.c
+++ b/chardev/char-socket.c
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ static char *qemu_chr_socket_address(SocketChardev *s, const char *prefix)
                                qemu_chr_socket_protocol(s),
                                s->addr->u.inet.host,
                                s->addr->u.inet.port,
-                               s->is_listen ? ",server" : "");
+                               s->is_listen ? ",server=on" : "");
         break;
     case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_UNIX:
     {
@@ -470,12 +470,12 @@ static char *qemu_chr_socket_address(SocketChardev *s, const char *prefix)
 
         return g_strdup_printf("%sunix:%s%s%s%s", prefix, sa->path,
                                abstract, tight,
-                               s->is_listen ? ",server" : "");
+                               s->is_listen ? ",server=on" : "");
         break;
     }
     case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_FD:
         return g_strdup_printf("%sfd:%s%s", prefix, s->addr->u.fd.str,
-                               s->is_listen ? ",server" : "");
+                               s->is_listen ? ",server=on" : "");
         break;
     case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_VSOCK:
         return g_strdup_printf("%svsock:%s:%s", prefix,
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ static char *qemu_chr_compute_filename(SocketChardev *s)
     case AF_UNIX:
         return g_strdup_printf("unix:%s%s",
                                ((struct sockaddr_un *)(ss))->sun_path,
-                               s->is_listen ? ",server" : "");
+                               s->is_listen ? ",server=on" : "");
 #endif
     case AF_INET6:
         left  = "[";
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ static char *qemu_chr_compute_filename(SocketChardev *s)
         return g_strdup_printf("%s:%s%s%s:%s%s <-> %s%s%s:%s",
                                qemu_chr_socket_protocol(s),
                                left, shost, right, sserv,
-                               s->is_listen ? ",server" : "",
+                               s->is_listen ? ",server=on" : "",
                                left, phost, right, pserv);
 
     default:
diff --git a/qapi/char.json b/qapi/char.json
index 58338ed62d..6413970fa7 100644
--- a/qapi/char.json
+++ b/qapi/char.json
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@
 #       "return": [
 #          {
 #             "label": "charchannel0",
-#             "filename": "unix:/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/seabios.rhel6.agent,server",
+#             "filename": "unix:/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/seabios.rhel6.agent,server=on",
 #             "frontend-open": false
 #          },
 #          {
 #             "label": "charmonitor",
-#             "filename": "unix:/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/seabios.rhel6.monitor,server",
+#             "filename": "unix:/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/seabios.rhel6.monitor,server=on",
 #             "frontend-open": true
 #          },
 #          {
diff --git a/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py b/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
index 8b91ff95af..2e58795a10 100755
--- a/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
+++ b/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
     # Launch QEMU with binary
     if "system" in args.qemu:
-        cmd = "%s %s %s -gdb unix:path=%s,server" % (args.qemu,
-                                                     args.qargs,
-                                                     args.binary,
-                                                     socket_name)
+        cmd = "%s %s %s -gdb unix:path=%s,server=on" % (args.qemu,
+                                                        args.qargs,
+                                                        args.binary,
+                                                        socket_name)
     else:
         cmd = "%s %s -g %s %s" % (args.qemu, args.qargs, socket_name,
                                   args.binary)