diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
index 76969abcf11..66c1397ceb5 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
@@ -22,16 +22,6 @@
 #  define ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_SMM 0
 #endif
 
-#if defined(__arm__) || defined(__aarch64__)
-#  define DEFAULT_SERIAL_TTY "ttyAMA0"
-#elif defined(__s390__) || defined(__s390x__)
-#  define DEFAULT_SERIAL_TTY "ttysclp0"
-#elif defined(__powerpc__) || defined(__powerpc64__)
-#  define DEFAULT_SERIAL_TTY "hvc0"
-#else
-#  define DEFAULT_SERIAL_TTY "ttyS0"
-#endif
-
 #if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__)
 #  define QEMU_MACHINE_TYPE "q35"
 #elif defined(__arm__) || defined(__aarch64__) || defined(__riscv) || defined(__loongarch64)
diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
index 47c9093741f..00e040d9631 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
@@ -1643,6 +1643,7 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                                 &cmdline,
                                 "-nographic",
                                 "-nodefaults",
+                                "-device", "virtio-serial-pci,id=vmspawn-virtio-serial-pci",
                                 "-chardev") < 0)
                         return log_oom();
 
@@ -1652,7 +1653,7 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
 
                 r = strv_extend_many(
                                 &cmdline,
-                                "-serial", "chardev:console");
+                                "-device", "virtconsole,chardev=console");
                 break;
         }
 
@@ -1669,7 +1670,8 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                                 "-nographic",
                                 "-nodefaults",
                                 "-chardev", "stdio,mux=on,id=console,signal=off",
-                                "-serial", "chardev:console",
+                                "-device", "virtio-serial-pci,id=vmspawn-virtio-serial-pci",
+                                "-device", "virtconsole,chardev=console",
                                 "-mon", "console");
                 break;
 
@@ -1821,7 +1823,7 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                         return log_oom();
         }
 
-        r = strv_prepend(&arg_kernel_cmdline_extra, "console=" DEFAULT_SERIAL_TTY);
+        r = strv_prepend(&arg_kernel_cmdline_extra, "console=hvc0");
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_oom();