diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 3f45aa9..f434193 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
 const char *bios_name = NULL;
 enum vga_retrace_method vga_retrace_method = VGA_RETRACE_DUMB;
 DisplayType display_type = DT_DEFAULT;
+int display_remote = 0;
 const char* keyboard_layout = NULL;
 ram_addr_t ram_size;
 const char *mem_path = NULL;
@@ -2477,7 +2478,7 @@
                 }
                 break;
 	    case QEMU_OPTION_vnc:
-                display_type = DT_VNC;
+                display_remote++;
 		vnc_display = optarg;
 		break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_no_acpi:
@@ -2921,17 +2922,17 @@
     /* just use the first displaystate for the moment */
     ds = get_displaystate();
 
-    if (display_type == DT_DEFAULT) {
+    if (display_type == DT_DEFAULT && !display_remote) {
 #if defined(CONFIG_SDL) || defined(CONFIG_COCOA)
         display_type = DT_SDL;
 #else
-        display_type = DT_VNC;
         vnc_display = "localhost:0,to=99";
         show_vnc_port = 1;
 #endif
     }
         
 
+    /* init local displays */
     switch (display_type) {
     case DT_NOGRAPHIC:
         break;
@@ -2949,7 +2950,12 @@
         cocoa_display_init(ds, full_screen);
         break;
 #endif
-    case DT_VNC:
+    default:
+        break;
+    }
+
+    /* init remote displays */
+    if (vnc_display) {
         vnc_display_init(ds);
         if (vnc_display_open(ds, vnc_display) < 0)
             exit(1);
@@ -2957,12 +2963,10 @@
         if (show_vnc_port) {
             printf("VNC server running on `%s'\n", vnc_display_local_addr(ds));
         }
-        break;
-    default:
-        break;
     }
-    dpy_resize(ds);
 
+    /* display setup */
+    dpy_resize(ds);
     dcl = ds->listeners;
     while (dcl != NULL) {
         if (dcl->dpy_refresh != NULL) {
@@ -2972,12 +2976,10 @@
         }
         dcl = dcl->next;
     }
-
-    if (display_type == DT_NOGRAPHIC || display_type == DT_VNC) {
+    if (ds->gui_timer == NULL) {
         nographic_timer = qemu_new_timer(rt_clock, nographic_update, NULL);
         qemu_mod_timer(nographic_timer, qemu_get_clock(rt_clock));
     }
-
     text_consoles_set_display(ds);
 
     if (gdbstub_dev && gdbserver_start(gdbstub_dev) < 0) {