diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index 32823faf41..171a7bf14b 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -1675,11 +1675,26 @@ void dpy_gfx_update_full(QemuConsole *con)
 void dpy_gfx_replace_surface(QemuConsole *con,
                              DisplaySurface *surface)
 {
+    static const char placeholder_msg[] = "Display output is not active.";
     DisplayState *s = con->ds;
     DisplaySurface *old_surface = con->surface;
     DisplayChangeListener *dcl;
+    int width;
+    int height;
 
-    assert(old_surface != surface || surface == NULL);
+    if (!surface) {
+        if (old_surface) {
+            width = surface_width(old_surface);
+            height = surface_height(old_surface);
+        } else {
+            width = 640;
+            height = 480;
+        }
+
+        surface = qemu_create_placeholder_surface(width, height, placeholder_msg);
+    }
+
+    assert(old_surface != surface);
 
     con->surface = surface;
     QLIST_FOREACH(dcl, &s->listeners, next) {
diff --git a/ui/gtk.c b/ui/gtk.c
index c32ee34edc..3edaf041de 100644
--- a/ui/gtk.c
+++ b/ui/gtk.c
@@ -567,10 +567,6 @@ static void gd_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
     }
     vc->gfx.ds = surface;
 
-    if (!surface) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     if (surface->format == PIXMAN_x8r8g8b8) {
         /*
          * PIXMAN_x8r8g8b8 == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24
diff --git a/ui/sdl2-2d.c b/ui/sdl2-2d.c
index a2ea85127d..bfebbdeaea 100644
--- a/ui/sdl2-2d.c
+++ b/ui/sdl2-2d.c
@@ -32,14 +32,11 @@ void sdl2_2d_update(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
                     int x, int y, int w, int h)
 {
     struct sdl2_console *scon = container_of(dcl, struct sdl2_console, dcl);
-    DisplaySurface *surf = qemu_console_surface(dcl->con);
+    DisplaySurface *surf = scon->surface;
     SDL_Rect rect;
     size_t surface_data_offset;
     assert(!scon->opengl);
 
-    if (!surf) {
-        return;
-    }
     if (!scon->texture) {
         return;
     }
@@ -75,7 +72,7 @@ void sdl2_2d_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
         scon->texture = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (!new_surface) {
+    if (is_placeholder(new_surface) && qemu_console_get_index(dcl->con)) {
         sdl2_window_destroy(scon);
         return;
     }
diff --git a/ui/sdl2-gl.c b/ui/sdl2-gl.c
index fd594d7461..a21d2deed9 100644
--- a/ui/sdl2-gl.c
+++ b/ui/sdl2-gl.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void sdl2_gl_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
 
     scon->surface = new_surface;
 
-    if (!new_surface) {
+    if (is_placeholder(new_surface) && qemu_console_get_index(dcl->con)) {
         qemu_gl_fini_shader(scon->gls);
         scon->gls = NULL;
         sdl2_window_destroy(scon);
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ void sdl2_gl_refresh(DisplayChangeListener *dcl)
     assert(scon->opengl);
 
     graphic_hw_update(dcl->con);
-    if (scon->updates && scon->surface) {
+    if (scon->updates && scon->real_window) {
         scon->updates = 0;
         sdl2_gl_render_surface(scon);
     }
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.c b/ui/spice-display.c
index ad93b953a9..d22781a23d 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.c
+++ b/ui/spice-display.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ void qemu_spice_display_switch(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd,
     SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
     bool need_destroy;
 
-    if (surface && ssd->surface &&
+    if (ssd->surface &&
         surface_width(surface) == pixman_image_get_width(ssd->surface) &&
         surface_height(surface) == pixman_image_get_height(ssd->surface) &&
         surface_format(surface) == pixman_image_get_format(ssd->surface)) {
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ void qemu_spice_display_switch(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd,
 
     /* full mode switch */
     trace_qemu_spice_display_surface(ssd->qxl.id,
-                                     surface ? surface_width(surface)  : 0,
-                                     surface ? surface_height(surface) : 0,
+                                     surface_width(surface),
+                                     surface_height(surface),
                                      false);
 
     memset(&ssd->dirty, 0, sizeof(ssd->dirty));
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 4d2151272e..310abc9378 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -790,20 +790,10 @@ static bool vnc_check_pageflip(DisplaySurface *s1,
 static void vnc_dpy_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
                            DisplaySurface *surface)
 {
-    static const char placeholder_msg[] =
-        "Display output is not active.";
-    static DisplaySurface *placeholder;
     VncDisplay *vd = container_of(dcl, VncDisplay, dcl);
     bool pageflip = vnc_check_pageflip(vd->ds, surface);
     VncState *vs;
 
-    if (surface == NULL) {
-        if (placeholder == NULL) {
-            placeholder = qemu_create_placeholder_surface(640, 480, placeholder_msg);
-        }
-        surface = placeholder;
-    }
-
     vnc_abort_display_jobs(vd);
     vd->ds = surface;