diff --git a/ui/spice-core.c b/ui/spice-core.c
index 80535b6e0..a46852479 100644
--- a/ui/spice-core.c
+++ b/ui/spice-core.c
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ void qemu_spice_init(void)
 
     qemu_thread_get_self(&me);
 
-   if (!opts) {
+    if (!opts) {
         return;
     }
     port = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "port", 0);
@@ -787,10 +787,3 @@ static void spice_register_config(void)
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_spice_opts);
 }
 machine_init(spice_register_config);
-
-static void spice_register_types(void)
-{
-    qemu_spice_init();
-}
-
-type_init(spice_register_types)
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index bd95539ff..eeb634b9a 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -3369,6 +3369,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         exit(1);
     }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SPICE
+    /* spice needs the timers to be initialized by this point */
+    qemu_spice_init();
+#endif
+
     if (icount_option && (kvm_enabled() || xen_enabled())) {
         fprintf(stderr, "-icount is not allowed with kvm or xen\n");
         exit(1);