diff --git a/tools/virsh-console.c b/tools/virsh-console.c
index a235a9a283..3b7c39a1a4 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-console.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-console.c
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ virConsoleHandleSignal(int sig ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
 
 static void
-virConsoleShutdown(virConsolePtr con)
+virConsoleShutdown(virConsolePtr con,
+                   bool graceful)
 {
     virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
 
@@ -105,10 +106,18 @@ virConsoleShutdown(virConsolePtr con)
         virCopyLastError(&con->error);
 
     if (con->st) {
+        int rc;
+
         virStreamEventRemoveCallback(con->st);
-        if (virStreamAbort(con->st) < 0)
+        if (graceful)
+            rc = virStreamFinish(con->st);
+        else
+            rc = virStreamAbort(con->st);
+
+        if (rc < 0) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("cannot terminate console stream"));
+        }
         virStreamFree(con->st);
         con->st = NULL;
     }
@@ -160,7 +169,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStream(virStreamPtr st,
         if (avail < 1024) {
             if (VIR_REALLOC_N(con->streamToTerminal.data,
                               con->streamToTerminal.length + 1024) < 0) {
-                virConsoleShutdown(con);
+                virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
                 goto cleanup;
             }
             con->streamToTerminal.length += 1024;
@@ -174,7 +183,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStream(virStreamPtr st,
         if (got == -2)
             goto cleanup; /* blocking */
         if (got <= 0) {
-            virConsoleShutdown(con);
+            virConsoleShutdown(con, got == 0);
             goto cleanup;
         }
         con->streamToTerminal.offset += got;
@@ -193,7 +202,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStream(virStreamPtr st,
         if (done == -2)
             goto cleanup; /* blocking */
         if (done < 0) {
-            virConsoleShutdown(con);
+            virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
             goto cleanup;
         }
         memmove(con->terminalToStream.data,
@@ -214,7 +223,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStream(virStreamPtr st,
 
     if (events & VIR_STREAM_EVENT_ERROR ||
         events & VIR_STREAM_EVENT_HANGUP) {
-        virConsoleShutdown(con);
+        virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
     }
 
  cleanup:
@@ -244,7 +253,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStdin(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         if (avail < 1024) {
             if (VIR_REALLOC_N(con->terminalToStream.data,
                               con->terminalToStream.length + 1024) < 0) {
-                virConsoleShutdown(con);
+                virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
                 goto cleanup;
             }
             con->terminalToStream.length += 1024;
@@ -258,17 +267,17 @@ virConsoleEventOnStdin(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         if (got < 0) {
             if (errno != EAGAIN) {
                 virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", _("cannot read from stdin"));
-                virConsoleShutdown(con);
+                virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
             }
             goto cleanup;
         }
         if (got == 0) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("EOF on stdin"));
-            virConsoleShutdown(con);
+            virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
             goto cleanup;
         }
         if (con->terminalToStream.data[con->terminalToStream.offset] == con->escapeChar) {
-            virConsoleShutdown(con);
+            virConsoleShutdown(con, true);
             goto cleanup;
         }
 
@@ -281,13 +290,13 @@ virConsoleEventOnStdin(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_ERROR) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("IO error on stdin"));
-        virConsoleShutdown(con);
+        virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_HANGUP) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("EOF on stdin"));
-        virConsoleShutdown(con);
+        virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -320,7 +329,7 @@ virConsoleEventOnStdout(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         if (done < 0) {
             if (errno != EAGAIN) {
                 virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", _("cannot write to stdout"));
-                virConsoleShutdown(con);
+                virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
             }
             goto cleanup;
         }
@@ -342,13 +351,13 @@ virConsoleEventOnStdout(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_ERROR) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("IO error stdout"));
-        virConsoleShutdown(con);
+        virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_HANGUP) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("EOF on stdout"));
-        virConsoleShutdown(con);
+        virConsoleShutdown(con, false);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -487,7 +496,7 @@ virshRunConsole(vshControl *ctl,
         ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    virConsoleShutdown(con);
+    virConsoleShutdown(con, ret == 0);
 
     if (ret < 0) {
         vshResetLibvirtError();