diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 983cdc6ea..7e1f40880 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2825,7 +2825,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     const char *icount_option = NULL;
     const char *initrd_filename;
     const char *kernel_filename, *kernel_cmdline;
-    const char *boot_order = NULL;
+    const char *boot_order;
     DisplayState *ds;
     int cyls, heads, secs, translation;
     QemuOpts *hda_opts = NULL, *opts, *machine_opts;
@@ -4050,9 +4050,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     initrd_filename = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "initrd");
     kernel_cmdline = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "append");
 
-    if (!boot_order) {
-        boot_order = machine->default_boot_order;
-    }
+    boot_order = machine->default_boot_order;
     opts = qemu_opts_find(qemu_find_opts("boot-opts"), NULL);
     if (opts) {
         char *normal_boot_order;