diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 12a6fe25ad..ab65a9aab3 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -4501,13 +4501,13 @@ static void monitor_control_event(void *opaque, int event)
     switch (event) {
     case CHR_EVENT_OPENED:
         mon->mc->command_mode = 0;
-        json_message_parser_init(&mon->mc->parser, handle_qmp_command);
         data = get_qmp_greeting();
         monitor_json_emitter(mon, data);
         qobject_decref(data);
         break;
     case CHR_EVENT_CLOSED:
         json_message_parser_destroy(&mon->mc->parser);
+        json_message_parser_init(&mon->mc->parser, handle_qmp_command);
         break;
     }
 }
@@ -4610,6 +4610,8 @@ void monitor_init(CharDriverState *chr, int flags)
                               monitor_event, mon);
     }
 
+    json_message_parser_init(&mon->mc->parser, handle_qmp_command);
+
     QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&mon_list, mon, entry);
     if (!default_mon || (flags & MONITOR_IS_DEFAULT))
         default_mon = mon;