diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index 6de800524a..d112b85b4f 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ static void spapr_dt_chosen(SpaprMachineState *spapr, void *fdt, bool reset)
             _FDT(fdt_setprop_string(fdt, chosen, "qemu,boot-device", boot_device));
         }
 
-        if (!spapr->has_graphics && stdout_path) {
+        if (spapr->want_stdout_path && stdout_path) {
             /*
              * "linux,stdout-path" and "stdout" properties are
              * deprecated by linux kernel. New platforms should only
@@ -2712,6 +2712,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
     const char *kernel_filename = machine->kernel_filename;
     const char *initrd_filename = machine->initrd_filename;
     PCIHostState *phb;
+    bool has_vga;
     int i;
     MemoryRegion *sysmem = get_system_memory();
     long load_limit, fw_size;
@@ -2950,9 +2951,12 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
 
     /* Graphics */
-    if (spapr_vga_init(phb->bus, &error_fatal)) {
-        spapr->has_graphics = true;
+    has_vga = spapr_vga_init(phb->bus, &error_fatal);
+    if (has_vga) {
+        spapr->want_stdout_path = !machine->enable_graphics;
         machine->usb |= defaults_enabled() && !machine->usb_disabled;
+    } else {
+        spapr->want_stdout_path = true;
     }
 
     if (machine->usb) {
@@ -2962,7 +2966,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
             pci_create_simple(phb->bus, -1, "nec-usb-xhci");
         }
 
-        if (spapr->has_graphics) {
+        if (has_vga) {
             USBBus *usb_bus = usb_bus_find(-1);
 
             usb_create_simple(usb_bus, "usb-kbd");
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
index 14b01c3f59..072dda2c72 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ struct SpaprMachineState {
     Vof *vof;
     uint64_t rtc_offset; /* Now used only during incoming migration */
     struct PPCTimebase tb;
-    bool has_graphics;
+    bool want_stdout_path;
     uint32_t vsmt;       /* Virtual SMT mode (KVM's "core stride") */
 
     /* Nested HV support (TCG only) */