diff --git a/configure b/configure
index aae617e765..5eaa802a80 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ glusterfs_zerofill="no"
 virtio_blk_data_plane=""
 gtk=""
 gtkabi="2.0"
+vte=""
 tpm="no"
 libssh2=""
 vhdx=""
@@ -1063,6 +1064,10 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --with-gtkabi=*) gtkabi="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --disable-vte) vte="no"
+  ;;
+  --enable-vte) vte="yes"
+  ;;
   --enable-tpm) tpm="yes"
   ;;
   --disable-libssh2) libssh2="no"
@@ -1946,30 +1951,41 @@ if test "$gtk" != "no"; then
     gtkpackage="gtk+-$gtkabi"
     if test "$gtkabi" = "3.0" ; then
       gtkversion="3.0.0"
+    else
+      gtkversion="2.18.0"
+    fi
+    if $pkg_config --exists "$gtkpackage >= $gtkversion"; then
+        gtk_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags $gtkpackage`
+        gtk_libs=`$pkg_config --libs $gtkpackage`
+        libs_softmmu="$gtk_libs $libs_softmmu"
+        gtk="yes"
+    elif test "$gtk" = "yes"; then
+        feature_not_found "gtk" "Install gtk2 or gtk3 (requires --with-gtkabi=3.0 option to configure) devel"
+    else
+        gtk="no"
+    fi
+fi
+
+##########################################
+# VTE probe
+
+if test "$vte" != "no"; then
+    if test "$gtkabi" = "3.0"; then
       vtepackage="vte-2.90"
       vteversion="0.32.0"
     else
-      gtkversion="2.18.0"
       vtepackage="vte"
       vteversion="0.24.0"
     fi
-    if ! $pkg_config --exists "$gtkpackage >= $gtkversion"; then
-        if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
-            feature_not_found "gtk" "Install gtk2 or gtk3 (requires --with-gtkabi=3.0 option to configure) devel"
-        fi
-        gtk="no"
-    elif ! $pkg_config --exists "$vtepackage >= $vteversion"; then
-        if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
-            error_exit "libvte not found (required for gtk support)"
-        fi
-        gtk="no"
+    if $pkg_config --exists "$vtepackage >= $vteversion"; then
+        vte_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags $vtepackage`
+        vte_libs=`$pkg_config --libs $vtepackage`
+        libs_softmmu="$vte_libs $libs_softmmu"
+        vte="yes"
+    elif test "$vte" = "yes"; then
+        feature_not_found "vte" "Install libvte or libvte-2.90 (requires --with-gtkabi=3.0 option to configure) devel"
     else
-	gtk_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags $gtkpackage`
-	gtk_libs=`$pkg_config --libs $gtkpackage`
-	vte_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags $vtepackage`
-	vte_libs=`$pkg_config --libs $vtepackage`
-	libs_softmmu="$gtk_libs $vte_libs $libs_softmmu"
-	gtk="yes"
+        vte="no"
     fi
 fi
 
@@ -4053,6 +4069,7 @@ fi
 echo "pixman            $pixman"
 echo "SDL support       $sdl"
 echo "GTK support       $gtk"
+echo "VTE support       $vte"
 echo "curses support    $curses"
 echo "curl support      $curl"
 echo "mingw32 support   $mingw32"
@@ -4381,6 +4398,9 @@ echo "GLIB_CFLAGS=$glib_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
 if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_GTK=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "GTK_CFLAGS=$gtk_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
+if test "$vte" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_VTE=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "VTE_CFLAGS=$vte_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 if test "$xen" = "yes" ; then
diff --git a/ui/gtk.c b/ui/gtk.c
index baabf865c0..f056e4034b 100644
--- a/ui/gtk.c
+++ b/ui/gtk.c
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
 #include <gdk/gdkkeysyms.h>
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
 #include <vte/vte.h>
+#endif
 #include <math.h>
 
 #include "trace.h"
@@ -68,6 +70,9 @@
 
 #define MAX_VCS 10
 
+#if !defined(CONFIG_VTE)
+# define VTE_CHECK_VERSION(a, b, c) 0
+#endif
 
 /* Compatibility define to let us build on both Gtk2 and Gtk3 */
 #if GTK_CHECK_VERSION(3, 0, 0)
@@ -105,8 +110,10 @@ typedef struct VirtualConsole
 {
     GtkWidget *menu_item;
     GtkWidget *terminal;
+#if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
     GtkWidget *scrolled_window;
     CharDriverState *chr;
+#endif
     int fd;
 } VirtualConsole;
 
@@ -1063,6 +1070,7 @@ static void gd_change_page(GtkNotebook *nb, gpointer arg1, guint arg2,
     if (arg2 == 0) {
         gtk_check_menu_item_set_active(GTK_CHECK_MENU_ITEM(s->vga_item), TRUE);
     } else {
+#if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
         VirtualConsole *vc = &s->vc[arg2 - 1];
         VteTerminal *term = VTE_TERMINAL(vc->terminal);
         int width, height;
@@ -1072,6 +1080,9 @@ static void gd_change_page(GtkNotebook *nb, gpointer arg1, guint arg2,
 
         gtk_check_menu_item_set_active(GTK_CHECK_MENU_ITEM(vc->menu_item), TRUE);
         gtk_widget_set_size_request(vc->terminal, width, height);
+#else
+        g_assert_not_reached();
+#endif
     }
 
     gtk_widget_set_sensitive(s->grab_item, on_vga);
@@ -1117,7 +1128,7 @@ static int gd_vc_chr_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
 {
     VirtualConsole *vc = chr->opaque;
 
-    return write(vc->fd, buf, len);
+    return vc ? write(vc->fd, buf, len) : len;
 }
 
 static int nb_vcs;
@@ -1142,6 +1153,7 @@ void early_gtk_display_init(void)
     register_vc_handler(gd_vc_handler);
 }
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
 static gboolean gd_vc_in(GIOChannel *chan, GIOCondition cond, void *opaque)
 {
     VirtualConsole *vc = opaque;
@@ -1157,10 +1169,12 @@ static gboolean gd_vc_in(GIOChannel *chan, GIOCondition cond, void *opaque)
 
     return TRUE;
 }
+#endif
 
 static GSList *gd_vc_init(GtkDisplayState *s, VirtualConsole *vc, int index, GSList *group,
                           GtkWidget *view_menu)
 {
+#if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
     const char *label;
     char buffer[32];
     char path[32];
@@ -1230,6 +1244,7 @@ static GSList *gd_vc_init(GtkDisplayState *s, VirtualConsole *vc, int index, GSL
     chan = g_io_channel_unix_new(vc->fd);
     g_io_add_watch(chan, G_IO_IN, gd_vc_in, vc);
 
+#endif /* CONFIG_VTE */
     return group;
 }