diff --git a/include/ui/console.h b/include/ui/console.h
index 5dd21976a3..7a3fc11abf 100644
--- a/include/ui/console.h
+++ b/include/ui/console.h
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ void vnc_display_open(const char *id, Error **errp);
 void vnc_display_add_client(const char *id, int csock, bool skipauth);
 int vnc_display_password(const char *id, const char *password);
 int vnc_display_pw_expire(const char *id, time_t expires);
-QemuOpts *vnc_parse(const char *str, Error **errp);
+void vnc_parse(const char *str);
 int vnc_init_func(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 
 /* input.c */
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 59304261cf..a8876b8965 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ static void parse_display(const char *p)
          * display access.
          */
         if (*opts == '=') {
-            vnc_parse(opts + 1, &error_fatal);
+            vnc_parse(opts + 1);
         } else {
             error_report("VNC requires a display argument vnc=<display>");
             exit(1);
@@ -1402,7 +1402,7 @@ static void qemu_create_default_devices(void)
         if (!qemu_display_find_default(&dpy)) {
             dpy.type = DISPLAY_TYPE_NONE;
 #if defined(CONFIG_VNC)
-            vnc_parse("localhost:0,to=99,id=default", &error_abort);
+            vnc_parse("localhost:0,to=99,id=default");
 #endif
         }
     }
@@ -3186,7 +3186,7 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_vnc:
-                vnc_parse(optarg, &error_fatal);
+                vnc_parse(optarg);
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_no_acpi:
                 olist = qemu_find_opts("machine");
diff --git a/ui/vnc-stubs.c b/ui/vnc-stubs.c
index c6b737dcec..b4eb3ce718 100644
--- a/ui/vnc-stubs.c
+++ b/ui/vnc-stubs.c
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ int vnc_display_pw_expire(const char *id, time_t expires)
 {
     return -ENODEV;
 };
-QemuOpts *vnc_parse(const char *str, Error **errp)
+void vnc_parse(const char *str)
 {
     if (strcmp(str, "none") == 0) {
-        return NULL;
+        return;
     }
-    error_setg(errp, "VNC support is disabled");
-    return NULL;
+    error_setg(&error_fatal, "VNC support is disabled");
 }
 int vnc_init_func(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index d429bfee5a..66f7c1b936 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include "crypto/random.h"
 #include "qom/object_interfaces.h"
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
+#include "qemu/help_option.h"
 #include "io/dns-resolver.h"
 
 #define VNC_REFRESH_INTERVAL_BASE GUI_REFRESH_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
@@ -4211,14 +4212,14 @@ static void vnc_auto_assign_id(QemuOptsList *olist, QemuOpts *opts)
     qemu_opts_set_id(opts, id);
 }
 
-QemuOpts *vnc_parse(const char *str, Error **errp)
+void vnc_parse(const char *str)
 {
     QemuOptsList *olist = qemu_find_opts("vnc");
-    QemuOpts *opts = qemu_opts_parse(olist, str, true, errp);
+    QemuOpts *opts = qemu_opts_parse_noisily(olist, str, !is_help_option(str));
     const char *id;
 
     if (!opts) {
-        return NULL;
+        exit(1);
     }
 
     id = qemu_opts_id(opts);
@@ -4226,7 +4227,6 @@ QemuOpts *vnc_parse(const char *str, Error **errp)
         /* auto-assign id if not present */
         vnc_auto_assign_id(olist, opts);
     }
-    return opts;
 }
 
 int vnc_init_func(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)