diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index c8f8fe8374..25a7bc6214 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1837,6 +1837,10 @@ qemuDomainReleaseDeviceAddress(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                                             &info->addr.pci) < 0)
         VIR_WARN("Unable to release PCI address on %s",
                  NULLSTR(devstr));
+    if (info->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_VIRTIO_SERIAL &&
+        virDomainVirtioSerialAddrRelease(priv->vioserialaddrs, info) < 0)
+        VIR_WARN("Unable to release virtio-serial address on %s",
+                 NULLSTR(devstr));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 062896415e..c7c2ea471c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1531,17 +1531,51 @@ qemuDomainChrRemove(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
     return ret;
 }
 
+static int
+qemuDomainAttachChrDeviceAssignAddr(qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv,
+                                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr)
+{
+    if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
+        chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO) {
+        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(NULL, priv->vioserialaddrs,
+                                                &chr->info, true) < 0)
+            return -1;
+        return 1;
+
+    } else if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_SERIAL &&
+               chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_PCI) {
+        if (virDomainPCIAddressEnsureAddr(priv->pciaddrs, &chr->info) < 0)
+            return -1;
+        return 1;
+
+    } else if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CHANNEL &&
+               chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CHANNEL_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO) {
+        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(NULL, priv->vioserialaddrs,
+                                                &chr->info, false) < 0)
+            return -1;
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    if (chr->info.type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_VIRTIO_SERIAL ||
+        chr->info.type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_PCI) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("Unsupported address type for character device"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                               virDomainObjPtr vm,
                               virDomainChrDefPtr chr)
 {
-    int ret = -1;
+    int ret = -1, rc;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
     virDomainDefPtr vmdef = vm->def;
     char *devstr = NULL;
     char *charAlias = NULL;
     bool need_release = false;
-    bool allowZero = false;
 
     if (!virQEMUCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE)) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
@@ -1552,23 +1586,10 @@ int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuAssignDeviceChrAlias(vmdef, chr, -1) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
-        chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO)
-        allowZero = true;
-
-    if (chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_PCI) {
-        if (virDomainPCIAddressEnsureAddr(priv->pciaddrs, &chr->info) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    } else if (chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_USB) {
-        /* XXX */
-    } else {
-        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(NULL,
-                                                priv->vioserialaddrs,
-                                                &chr->info,
-                                                allowZero) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    }
-    need_release = true;
+    if ((rc = qemuDomainAttachChrDeviceAssignAddr(priv, chr) < 0))
+        goto cleanup;
+    if (rc == 1)
+        need_release = true;
 
     if (qemuBuildChrDeviceStr(&devstr, vm->def, chr, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
@@ -1601,15 +1622,8 @@ int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
  cleanup:
     if (ret < 0 && virDomainObjIsActive(vm))
         qemuDomainChrInsertPreAllocCleanup(vm->def, chr);
-    if (ret < 0 && need_release) {
-        if (chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_PCI) {
-            qemuDomainReleaseDeviceAddress(vm, &chr->info, NULL);
-        } else if (chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_USB) {
-            /* XXX */
-        } else {
-            virDomainVirtioSerialAddrRelease(priv->vioserialaddrs, &chr->info);
-        }
-    }
+    if (ret < 0 && need_release)
+        qemuDomainReleaseDeviceAddress(vm, &chr->info, NULL);
     VIR_FREE(charAlias);
     VIR_FREE(devstr);
     return ret;