diff --git a/hw/qdev-properties.c b/hw/qdev-properties.c
index 1088a26f8e..eff2d24945 100644
--- a/hw/qdev-properties.c
+++ b/hw/qdev-properties.c
@@ -354,10 +354,10 @@ static int parse_chr(DeviceState *dev, Property *prop, const char *str)
     if (*ptr == NULL) {
         return -ENOENT;
     }
-    if ((*ptr)->assigned) {
+    if ((*ptr)->avail_connections < 1) {
         return -EEXIST;
     }
-    (*ptr)->assigned = 1;
+    --(*ptr)->avail_connections;
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 710d98ffc4..eaf6571ac8 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ void qemu_chr_add_handlers(CharDriverState *s,
 {
     if (!opaque) {
         /* chr driver being released. */
-        s->assigned = 0;
+        ++s->avail_connections;
     }
     s->chr_can_read = fd_can_read;
     s->chr_read = fd_read;
@@ -2547,7 +2547,10 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_opts(QemuOpts *opts,
         snprintf(base->label, len, "%s-base", qemu_opts_id(opts));
         chr = qemu_chr_open_mux(base);
         chr->filename = base->filename;
+        chr->avail_connections = MAX_MUX;
         QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&chardevs, chr, next);
+    } else {
+        chr->avail_connections = 1;
     }
     chr->label = qemu_strdup(qemu_opts_id(opts));
     return chr;
diff --git a/qemu-char.h b/qemu-char.h
index 2f8512e528..892c6da9aa 100644
--- a/qemu-char.h
+++ b/qemu-char.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ struct CharDriverState {
     char *label;
     char *filename;
     int opened;
-    int assigned; /* chardev assigned to a device */
+    int avail_connections;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(CharDriverState) next;
 };