diff --git a/chardev/char-parallel.c b/chardev/char-parallel.c
index a5164f975a..78697d7522 100644
--- a/chardev/char-parallel.c
+++ b/chardev/char-parallel.c
@@ -164,13 +164,13 @@ static void qemu_chr_open_pp_fd(Chardev *chr,
 {
     ParallelChardev *drv = PARALLEL_CHARDEV(chr);
 
+    drv->fd = fd;
+
     if (ioctl(fd, PPCLAIM) < 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "not a parallel port");
-        close(fd);
         return;
     }
 
-    drv->fd = fd;
     drv->mode = IEEE1284_MODE_COMPAT;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ */
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_open_pp_fd(Chardev *chr,
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL
 static void qmp_chardev_open_parallel(Chardev *chr,
                                       ChardevBackend *backend,
                                       bool *be_opened,
@@ -306,3 +307,5 @@ static void register_types(void)
 }
 
 type_init(register_types);
+
+#endif  /* HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL */
diff --git a/chardev/meson.build b/chardev/meson.build
index c80337d15f..70070a8279 100644
--- a/chardev/meson.build
+++ b/chardev/meson.build
@@ -21,11 +21,9 @@ if host_os == 'windows'
 else
   chardev_ss.add(files(
       'char-fd.c',
+      'char-parallel.c',
       'char-pty.c',
     ), util)
-  if host_os in ['linux', 'gnu/kfreebsd', 'freebsd', 'dragonfly']
-    chardev_ss.add(files('char-parallel.c'))
-  endif
 endif
 
 chardev_ss = chardev_ss.apply({})
diff --git a/include/qemu/osdep.h b/include/qemu/osdep.h
index 7d359dabc4..c7053cdc2b 100644
--- a/include/qemu/osdep.h
+++ b/include/qemu/osdep.h
@@ -508,11 +508,18 @@ void qemu_anon_ram_free(void *ptr, size_t size);
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL 1
-#elif defined(__linux__) || defined(__sun__) || defined(__FreeBSD__)    \
+#define HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL 1
+#else
+#if defined(__linux__) || defined(__sun__) || defined(__FreeBSD__)   \
     || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__DragonFly__) \
     || defined(__GLIBC__) || defined(__APPLE__)
 #define HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL 1
 #endif
+#if defined(__linux__) || defined(__FreeBSD__) \
+    || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__) || defined(__DragonFly__)
+#define HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL 1
+#endif
+#endif
 
 #if defined(__HAIKU__)
 #define SIGIO SIGPOLL
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-char.c b/tests/unit/test-char.c
index 649fdf64e1..2aea49c3b6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-char.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-char.c
@@ -1203,6 +1203,30 @@ static void char_serial_test(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL) && !defined(WIN32)
+static void char_parallel_test(void)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    Chardev *chr;
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("chardev"), "parallel-id",
+                            1, &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "parallel", &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", "/dev/null", &error_abort);
+
+    chr = qemu_chr_new_from_opts(opts, NULL, NULL);
+#ifdef __linux__
+    /* fails to PPCLAIM, see qemu_chr_open_pp_fd() */
+    g_assert_null(chr);
+#else
+    g_assert_nonnull(chr);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(chr));
+#endif
+
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifndef _WIN32
 static void char_file_fifo_test(void)
 {
@@ -1544,6 +1568,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     g_test_add_func("/char/udp", char_udp_test);
 #if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL) && !defined(WIN32)
     g_test_add_func("/char/serial", char_serial_test);
+#endif
+#if defined(HAVE_CHARDEV_PARALLEL) && !defined(WIN32)
+    g_test_add_func("/char/parallel", char_parallel_test);
 #endif
     g_test_add_func("/char/hotswap", char_hotswap_test);
     g_test_add_func("/char/websocket", char_websock_test);