diff --git a/chardev/char-mux.c b/chardev/char-mux.c
index 1b925c8dec..6055e76293 100644
--- a/chardev/char-mux.c
+++ b/chardev/char-mux.c
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ void mux_set_focus(Chardev *chr, int focus)
     }
 
     d->focus = focus;
+    chr->be = d->backends[focus];
     mux_chr_send_event(d, d->focus, CHR_EVENT_MUX_IN);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/test-char.c b/tests/test-char.c
index 1880d36783..5905d31441 100644
--- a/tests/test-char.c
+++ b/tests/test-char.c
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ static void char_mux_test(void)
     g_assert_cmpint(h2.last_event, ==, -1);
 
     /* switch focus */
+    qemu_chr_be_write(base, (void *)"\1b", 2);
+    g_assert_cmpint(h1.last_event, ==, 42);
+    g_assert_cmpint(h2.last_event, ==, CHR_EVENT_BREAK);
+
     qemu_chr_be_write(base, (void *)"\1c", 2);
     g_assert_cmpint(h1.last_event, ==, CHR_EVENT_MUX_IN);
     g_assert_cmpint(h2.last_event, ==, CHR_EVENT_MUX_OUT);
@@ -227,6 +231,10 @@ static void char_mux_test(void)
     g_assert_cmpstr(h1.read_buf, ==, "hello");
     h1.read_count = 0;
 
+    qemu_chr_be_write(base, (void *)"\1b", 2);
+    g_assert_cmpint(h1.last_event, ==, CHR_EVENT_BREAK);
+    g_assert_cmpint(h2.last_event, ==, CHR_EVENT_MUX_OUT);
+
     /* remove first handler */
     qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&chr_be1, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
                              NULL, NULL, true);