diff --git a/include/ui/console.h b/include/ui/console.h
index f8c462106a..3ea6cf0870 100644
--- a/include/ui/console.h
+++ b/include/ui/console.h
@@ -453,18 +453,6 @@ int vnc_display_pw_expire(const char *id, time_t expires);
 QemuOpts *vnc_parse(const char *str, Error **errp);
 int vnc_init_func(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 
-/* curses.c */
-#ifdef CONFIG_CURSES
-void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts);
-#else
-static inline void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts)
-{
-    /* This must never be called if CONFIG_CURSES is disabled */
-    error_report("curses support is disabled");
-    abort();
-}
-#endif
-
 /* input.c */
 int index_from_key(const char *key, size_t key_length);
 
diff --git a/ui/curses.c b/ui/curses.c
index 597e47fd4a..59d819fd4d 100644
--- a/ui/curses.c
+++ b/ui/curses.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ static const DisplayChangeListenerOps dcl_ops = {
     .dpy_text_cursor = curses_cursor_position,
 };
 
-void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts)
+static void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts)
 {
 #ifndef _WIN32
     if (!isatty(1)) {
@@ -456,3 +456,15 @@ void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *opts)
 
     invalidate = 1;
 }
+
+static QemuDisplay qemu_display_curses = {
+    .type       = DISPLAY_TYPE_CURSES,
+    .init       = curses_display_init,
+};
+
+static void register_curses(void)
+{
+    qemu_display_register(&qemu_display_curses);
+}
+
+type_init(register_curses);
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 377140ebd9..5b2fca8bd3 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2168,12 +2168,7 @@ static void parse_display(const char *p)
         exit(1);
 #endif
     } else if (strstart(p, "curses", &opts)) {
-#ifdef CONFIG_CURSES
         dpy.type = DISPLAY_TYPE_CURSES;
-#else
-        error_report("curses support is disabled");
-        exit(1);
-#endif
     } else if (strstart(p, "gtk", &opts)) {
         dpy.type = DISPLAY_TYPE_GTK;
         while (*opts) {
@@ -4660,17 +4655,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         qemu_register_reset(restore_boot_order, g_strdup(boot_order));
     }
 
-    ds = init_displaystate();
-
     /* init local displays */
-    switch (dpy.type) {
-    case DISPLAY_TYPE_CURSES:
-        curses_display_init(ds, &dpy);
-        break;
-    default:
-        qemu_display_init(ds, &dpy);
-        break;
-    }
+    ds = init_displaystate();
+    qemu_display_init(ds, &dpy);
 
     /* must be after terminal init, SDL library changes signal handlers */
     os_setup_signal_handling();