diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index b3b34348ba..d1e391f481 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -4259,13 +4259,6 @@ qemuDomainChrDefPostParse(virDomainChrDefPtr chr,
                           virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                           unsigned int parseFlags)
 {
-    /* set the default console type for S390 arches */
-    if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
-        chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_NONE &&
-        ARCH_IS_S390(def->os.arch)) {
-        chr->targetType = VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO;
-    }
-
     /* Historically, isa-serial and the default matched, so in order to
      * maintain backwards compatibility we map them here. The actual default
      * will be picked below based on the architecture and machine type. */
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-s390-serial-console.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-s390-serial-console.args
index c405fb59ee..20968f7945 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-s390-serial-console.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-s390-serial-console.args
@@ -18,8 +18,5 @@ QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
 server,nowait \
 -mon chardev=charmonitor,id=monitor,mode=readline \
 -boot c \
--device virtio-serial-ccw,id=virtio-serial0,devno=fe.0.0000 \
 -chardev pty,id=charserial0 \
--device sclpconsole,chardev=charserial0,id=serial0 \
--chardev pty,id=charconsole1 \
--device virtconsole,chardev=charconsole1,id=console1
+-device sclpconsole,chardev=charserial0,id=serial0
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-defaultconsole.xml b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-defaultconsole.xml
index 7eb1a765ab..0f278f2c9d 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-defaultconsole.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-defaultconsole.xml
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@
   <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
   <devices>
     <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-s390x</emulator>
-    <controller type='virtio-serial' index='0'/>
+    <serial type='pty'>
+      <target type='sclp-serial' port='0'>
+        <model name='sclpconsole'/>
+      </target>
+    </serial>
     <console type='pty'>
-      <target type='virtio' port='0'/>
+      <target type='serial' port='0'/>
     </console>
     <memballoon model='none'/>
     <panic model='s390'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-serial-console.xml b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-serial-console.xml
index db3023b7a6..9c9b4dd27a 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-serial-console.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-s390-serial-console.xml
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@
   <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
   <devices>
     <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-s390x</emulator>
-    <controller type='virtio-serial' index='0'>
-      <address type='ccw' cssid='0xfe' ssid='0x0' devno='0x0000'/>
-    </controller>
     <serial type='pty'>
       <target type='sclp-serial' port='0'>
         <model name='sclpconsole'/>
@@ -25,9 +22,6 @@
     <console type='pty'>
       <target type='serial' port='0'/>
     </console>
-    <console type='pty'>
-      <target type='virtio' port='0'/>
-    </console>
     <memballoon model='none'/>
     <panic model='s390'/>
   </devices>