diff --git a/console.c b/console.c
index d55e0fd..9bbef59 100644
--- a/console.c
+++ b/console.c
@@ -1317,16 +1317,31 @@ void console_color_init(DisplayState *ds)
 
 static int n_text_consoles;
 static CharDriverState *text_consoles[128];
-static char *text_console_strs[128];
+static QemuOpts *text_console_opts[128];
 
-static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds, const char *p)
+static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds, QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     TextConsole *s;
     unsigned width;
     unsigned height;
     static int color_inited;
 
-    s = new_console(ds, (p == NULL) ? TEXT_CONSOLE : TEXT_CONSOLE_FIXED_SIZE);
+    width = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "width", 0);
+    if (width == 0)
+        width = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "cols", 0) * FONT_WIDTH;
+
+    height = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "height", 0);
+    if (height == 0)
+        height = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "rows", 0) * FONT_HEIGHT;
+
+    if (width == 0 || height == 0) {
+        s = new_console(ds, TEXT_CONSOLE);
+        width = ds_get_width(s->ds);
+        height = ds_get_height(s->ds);
+    } else {
+        s = new_console(ds, TEXT_CONSOLE_FIXED_SIZE);
+    }
+
     if (!s) {
         free(chr);
         return;
@@ -1350,23 +1365,6 @@ static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds, const c
     s->total_height = DEFAULT_BACKSCROLL;
     s->x = 0;
     s->y = 0;
-    width = ds_get_width(s->ds);
-    height = ds_get_height(s->ds);
-    if (p != NULL) {
-        width = strtoul(p, (char **)&p, 10);
-        if (*p == 'C') {
-            p++;
-            width *= FONT_WIDTH;
-        }
-        if (*p == 'x') {
-            p++;
-            height = strtoul(p, (char **)&p, 10);
-            if (*p == 'C') {
-                p++;
-                height *= FONT_HEIGHT;
-            }
-        }
-    }
     s->g_width = width;
     s->g_height = height;
 
@@ -1391,7 +1389,7 @@ static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds, const c
         chr->init(chr);
 }
 
-CharDriverState *text_console_init(const char *p)
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
@@ -1402,7 +1400,7 @@ CharDriverState *text_console_init(const char *p)
         exit(1);
     }
     text_consoles[n_text_consoles] = chr;
-    text_console_strs[n_text_consoles] = p ? qemu_strdup(p) : NULL;
+    text_console_opts[n_text_consoles] = opts;
     n_text_consoles++;
 
     return chr;
@@ -1413,8 +1411,9 @@ void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds)
     int i;
 
     for (i = 0; i < n_text_consoles; i++) {
-        text_console_do_init(text_consoles[i], ds, text_console_strs[i]);
-        qemu_free(text_console_strs[i]);
+        text_console_do_init(text_consoles[i], ds, text_console_opts[i]);
+        qemu_opts_del(text_console_opts[i]);
+        text_console_opts[i] = NULL;
     }
 
     n_text_consoles = 0;
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index c8922e4..9615f56 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ void vga_hw_text_update(console_ch_t *chardata);
 
 int is_graphic_console(void);
 int is_fixedsize_console(void);
-CharDriverState *text_console_init(const char *p);
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts);
 void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds);
 void console_select(unsigned int index);
 void console_color_init(DisplayState *ds);
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 6066c08..429ba2d 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2221,7 +2221,7 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts)
 
 static QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename)
 {
-    char host[65], port[33];
+    char host[65], port[33], width[8], height[8];
     int pos;
     const char *p;
     QemuOpts *opts;
@@ -2238,6 +2238,23 @@ static QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename)
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", filename);
         return opts;
     }
+    if (strstart(filename, "vc", &p)) {
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "vc");
+        if (*p == ':') {
+            if (sscanf(p+1, "%8[0-9]x%8[0-9]", width, height) == 2) {
+                /* pixels */
+                qemu_opt_set(opts, "width", width);
+                qemu_opt_set(opts, "height", height);
+            } else if (sscanf(p+1, "%8[0-9]Cx%8[0-9]C", width, height) == 2) {
+                /* chars */
+                qemu_opt_set(opts, "cols", width);
+                qemu_opt_set(opts, "rows", height);
+            } else {
+                goto fail;
+            }
+        }
+        return opts;
+    }
     if (strcmp(filename, "con:") == 0) {
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "console");
         return opts;
@@ -2306,6 +2323,7 @@ static struct {
     { .name = "null",      .open = qemu_chr_open_null },
     { .name = "socket",    .open = qemu_chr_open_socket },
     { .name = "msmouse",   .open = qemu_chr_open_msmouse },
+    { .name = "vc",        .open = text_console_init },
 #ifdef _WIN32
     { .name = "file",      .open = qemu_chr_open_win_file_out },
     { .name = "pipe",      .open = qemu_chr_open_win_pipe },
@@ -2376,12 +2394,6 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*i
         return qemu_chr_open_opts(opts, init);
     }
 
-    if (!strcmp(filename, "vc")) {
-        chr = text_console_init(NULL);
-    } else
-    if (strstart(filename, "vc:", &p)) {
-        chr = text_console_init(p);
-    } else
     if (strstart(filename, "udp:", &p)) {
         chr = qemu_chr_open_udp(p);
     } else
diff --git a/qemu-config.c b/qemu-config.c
index 3b5083c..09ef481 100644
--- a/qemu-config.c
+++ b/qemu-config.c
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ QemuOptsList qemu_chardev_opts = {
         },{
             .name = "telnet",
             .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
+        },{
+            .name = "width",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_NUMBER,
+        },{
+            .name = "height",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_NUMBER,
+        },{
+            .name = "cols",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_NUMBER,
+        },{
+            .name = "rows",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_NUMBER,
         },
         { /* end if list */ }
     },
