diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index d04b429..0b6ae95 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -110,19 +110,9 @@
     s->chr_event(s->handler_opaque, event);
 }
 
-static gboolean qemu_chr_be_generic_open_bh(gpointer opaque)
-{
-    CharDriverState *s = opaque;
-    qemu_chr_be_event(s, CHR_EVENT_OPENED);
-    s->idle_tag = 0;
-    return FALSE;
-}
-
 void qemu_chr_be_generic_open(CharDriverState *s)
 {
-    if (s->idle_tag == 0) {
-        s->idle_tag = g_idle_add(qemu_chr_be_generic_open_bh, s);
-    }
+    qemu_chr_be_event(s, CHR_EVENT_OPENED);
 }
 
 int qemu_chr_fe_write(CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
@@ -247,6 +237,7 @@
 
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
     chr->chr_write = null_chr_write;
+    chr->explicit_be_open = true;
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -504,9 +495,6 @@
     /* Frontend guest-open / -close notification is not support with muxes */
     chr->chr_set_fe_open = NULL;
 
-    /* Muxes are always open on creation */
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
-
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -883,8 +871,6 @@
     chr->chr_update_read_handler = fd_chr_update_read_handler;
     chr->chr_close = fd_chr_close;
 
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
-
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -1243,6 +1229,7 @@
     chr->chr_update_read_handler = pty_chr_update_read_handler;
     chr->chr_close = pty_chr_close;
     chr->chr_add_watch = pty_chr_add_watch;
+    chr->explicit_be_open = true;
 
     s->fd = io_channel_from_fd(master_fd);
     s->timer_tag = 0;
@@ -1595,8 +1582,6 @@
     chr->chr_close = pp_close;
     chr->opaque = drv;
 
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
-
     return chr;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ */
@@ -1650,6 +1635,7 @@
     chr->opaque = (void *)(intptr_t)fd;
     chr->chr_write = null_chr_write;
     chr->chr_ioctl = pp_ioctl;
+    chr->explicit_be_open = true;
     return chr;
 }
 #endif
@@ -1880,7 +1866,6 @@
         g_free(chr);
         return NULL;
     }
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -1980,7 +1965,6 @@
         g_free(chr);
         return NULL;
     }
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -1994,7 +1978,6 @@
     s->hcom = fd_out;
     chr->opaque = s;
     chr->chr_write = win_chr_write;
-    qemu_chr_be_generic_open(chr);
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -2329,6 +2312,8 @@
     chr->chr_write = udp_chr_write;
     chr->chr_update_read_handler = udp_chr_update_read_handler;
     chr->chr_close = udp_chr_close;
+    /* be isn't opened until we get a connection */
+    chr->explicit_be_open = true;
     return chr;
 }
 
@@ -2731,6 +2716,8 @@
     chr->get_msgfd = tcp_get_msgfd;
     chr->chr_add_client = tcp_chr_add_client;
     chr->chr_add_watch = tcp_chr_add_watch;
+    /* be isn't opened until we get a connection */
+    chr->explicit_be_open = true;
 
     if (is_listen) {
         s->listen_fd = fd;
@@ -3325,6 +3312,12 @@
     if (!chr->filename)
         chr->filename = g_strdup(qemu_opt_get(opts, "backend"));
     chr->init = init;
+    /* if we didn't create the chardev via qmp_chardev_add, we
+     * need to send the OPENED event here
+     */
+    if (!chr->explicit_be_open) {
+        qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_OPENED);
+    }
     QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&chardevs, chr, next);
 
     if (qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "mux", 0)) {
@@ -3804,6 +3797,9 @@
         if (!chr->filename) {
             chr->filename = g_strdup(ChardevBackendKind_lookup[backend->kind]);
         }
+        if (!chr->explicit_be_open) {
+            qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_OPENED);
+        }
         QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&chardevs, chr, next);
         return ret;
     } else {