diff --git a/hw/msmouse.c b/hw/msmouse.c
index 69356a5357..05f893ca93 100644
--- a/hw/msmouse.c
+++ b/hw/msmouse.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static void msmouse_chr_close (struct CharDriverState *chr)
     qemu_free (chr);
 }
 
-CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(void)
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
diff --git a/hw/msmouse.h b/hw/msmouse.h
index 947afd990e..456cb21424 100644
--- a/hw/msmouse.h
+++ b/hw/msmouse.h
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 /* msmouse.c */
-CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(void);
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts);
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index df53f1200d..9c5fe57a53 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2226,9 +2226,10 @@ static QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename)
     if (NULL == opts)
         return NULL;
 
-    if (strcmp(filename, "null") == 0 ||
-        strcmp(filename, "pty") == 0 ||
-        strcmp(filename, "stdio") == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(filename, "null")    == 0 ||
+        strcmp(filename, "pty")     == 0 ||
+        strcmp(filename, "msmouse") == 0 ||
+        strcmp(filename, "stdio")   == 0) {
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", filename);
         return opts;
     }
@@ -2279,6 +2280,7 @@ static const struct {
 } backend_table[] = {
     { .name = "null",      .open = qemu_chr_open_null },
     { .name = "socket",    .open = qemu_chr_open_socket },
+    { .name = "msmouse",   .open = qemu_chr_open_msmouse },
 #ifdef _WIN32
     { .name = "file",      .open = qemu_chr_open_win_file_out },
     { .name = "pipe",      .open = qemu_chr_open_win_pipe },
@@ -2354,8 +2356,6 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*i
         } else {
             printf("Unable to open driver: %s\n", p);
         }
-    } else if (!strcmp(filename, "msmouse")) {
-        chr = qemu_chr_open_msmouse();
     } else
 #ifndef _WIN32
 #if defined(__linux__)