diff --git a/qemu-error.c b/qemu-error.c
index a8c178b33..5d5fe3742 100644
--- a/qemu-error.c
+++ b/qemu-error.c
@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ void error_printf(const char *fmt, ...)
     va_end(ap);
 }
 
+void error_printf_unless_qmp(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list ap;
+
+    if (!monitor_cur_is_qmp()) {
+        va_start(ap, fmt);
+        error_vprintf(fmt, ap);
+        va_end(ap);
+    }
+}
+
 static Location std_loc = {
     .kind = LOC_NONE
 };
diff --git a/qemu-error.h b/qemu-error.h
index 88e0b7056..e63c6ab31 100644
--- a/qemu-error.h
+++ b/qemu-error.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ void loc_set_file(const char *fname, int lno);
 
 void error_vprintf(const char *fmt, va_list ap);
 void error_printf(const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__ ((format(printf, 1, 2)));
+void error_printf_unless_qmp(const char *fmt, ...)
+    __attribute__ ((format(printf, 1, 2)));
 void error_print_loc(void);
 void error_set_progname(const char *argv0);
 void error_report(const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__ ((format(printf, 1, 2)));