diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index a7be74572a..36e4e066ba 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -4299,7 +4299,7 @@ libxlDomainOpenConsole(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("character device %s is not using a PTY"),
-                       NULLSTR(dev_name));
+                       dev_name ? dev_name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 31fb47071f..cc1277bddc 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -3484,7 +3484,8 @@ lxcDomainOpenConsole(virDomainPtr dom,
 
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("character device %s is not using a PTY"), dev_name);
+                       _("character device %s is not using a PTY"),
+                       dev_name ? dev_name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index c1373de6ec..1e3caf4a52 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -15958,7 +15958,7 @@ qemuDomainOpenConsole(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("character device %s is not using a PTY"),
-                       NULLSTR(dev_name));
+                       dev_name ? dev_name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -16032,7 +16032,7 @@ qemuDomainOpenChannel(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_UNIX) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("channel %s is not using a UNIX socket"),
-                       NULLSTR(name));
+                       name ? name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_driver.c b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
index f09e79b1f3..7a95458119 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_driver.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
@@ -2640,7 +2640,8 @@ umlDomainOpenConsole(virDomainPtr dom,
 
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                        _("character device %s is not using a PTY"), dev_name);
+                        _("character device %s is not using a PTY"),
+                       dev_name ? dev_name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/xen/xen_driver.c b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
index da9e6f4e8a..ce31f0f883 100644
--- a/src/xen/xen_driver.c
+++ b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
@@ -2705,7 +2705,8 @@ xenUnifiedDomainOpenConsole(virDomainPtr dom,
 
     if (chr->source.type != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("character device %s is not using a PTY"), dev_name);
+                       _("character device %s is not using a PTY"),
+                       dev_name ? dev_name : NULLSTR(chr->info.alias));
         goto cleanup;
     }