diff --git a/include/qemu/config-file.h b/include/qemu/config-file.h
index d74f920152..29226107bd 100644
--- a/include/qemu/config-file.h
+++ b/include/qemu/config-file.h
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ QemuOpts *qemu_find_opts_singleton(const char *group);
 
 void qemu_add_opts(QemuOptsList *list);
 void qemu_add_drive_opts(QemuOptsList *list);
-int qemu_set_option(const char *str);
 int qemu_global_option(const char *str);
 
 void qemu_config_write(FILE *fp);
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 77ee044c42..7146fbe219 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -2797,6 +2797,39 @@ static int qemu_read_default_config_file(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int qemu_set_option(const char *str)
+{
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+    char group[64], id[64], arg[64];
+    QemuOptsList *list;
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    int rc, offset;
+
+    rc = sscanf(str, "%63[^.].%63[^.].%63[^=]%n", group, id, arg, &offset);
+    if (rc < 3 || str[offset] != '=') {
+        error_report("can't parse: \"%s\"", str);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    list = qemu_find_opts(group);
+    if (list == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_find(list, id);
+    if (!opts) {
+        error_report("there is no %s \"%s\" defined",
+                     list->name, id);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (!qemu_opt_set(opts, arg, str + offset + 1, &local_err)) {
+        error_report_err(local_err);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static void user_register_global_props(void)
 {
     qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("global"),
diff --git a/util/qemu-config.c b/util/qemu-config.c
index 660f47b005..725e3d7e4b 100644
--- a/util/qemu-config.c
+++ b/util/qemu-config.c
@@ -313,39 +313,6 @@ void qemu_add_opts(QemuOptsList *list)
     abort();
 }
 
-int qemu_set_option(const char *str)
-{
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
-    char group[64], id[64], arg[64];
-    QemuOptsList *list;
-    QemuOpts *opts;
-    int rc, offset;
-
-    rc = sscanf(str, "%63[^.].%63[^.].%63[^=]%n", group, id, arg, &offset);
-    if (rc < 3 || str[offset] != '=') {
-        error_report("can't parse: \"%s\"", str);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    list = qemu_find_opts(group);
-    if (list == NULL) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    opts = qemu_opts_find(list, id);
-    if (!opts) {
-        error_report("there is no %s \"%s\" defined",
-                     list->name, id);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (!qemu_opt_set(opts, arg, str + offset + 1, &local_err)) {
-        error_report_err(local_err);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
 struct ConfigWriteData {
     QemuOptsList *list;
     FILE *fp;