diff --git a/builder/qemu/builder.go b/builder/qemu/builder.go
index 500f246d6..b3d826e8d 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/builder.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/builder.go
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	OutputDir          string     `mapstructure:"output_directory"`
 	QemuArgs           [][]string `mapstructure:"qemuargs"`
 	QemuBinary         string     `mapstructure:"qemu_binary"`
-	QMPEnable          bool       `mapstructure:"qmp_enable"`
 	QMPSocketPath      string     `mapstructure:"qmp_socket_path"`
 	ShutdownCommand    string     `mapstructure:"shutdown_command"`
 	SSHHostPortMin     int        `mapstructure:"ssh_host_port_min"`
@@ -358,11 +357,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) ([]string, error) {
 			errs, fmt.Errorf("vnc_port_min must be less than vnc_port_max"))
 	}
 
-	if b.config.VNCUsePassword && !b.config.QMPEnable {
-		b.config.QMPEnable = true
-	}
-
-	if b.config.QMPEnable && b.config.QMPSocketPath == "" {
+	if b.config.VNCUsePassword && b.config.QMPSocketPath == "" {
 		socketName := fmt.Sprintf("%s.monitor", b.config.VMName)
 		b.config.QMPSocketPath = filepath.Join(b.config.OutputDir, socketName)
 	}
diff --git a/builder/qemu/builder_test.go b/builder/qemu/builder_test.go
index 6e49cbb24..122caa754 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/builder_test.go
@@ -114,25 +114,6 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_VNCBindAddress(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBuilderPrepare_VNCPassword(t *testing.T) {
-	var b Builder
-	config := testConfig()
-
-	// Test a default boot_wait
-	config["vnc_use_password"] = true
-	warns, err := b.Prepare(config)
-	if len(warns) > 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warns)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if !b.config.QMPEnable {
-		t.Fatalf("QMP should be enabled.")
-	}
-}
-
 func TestBuilderPrepare_DiskCompaction(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
@@ -619,12 +600,11 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_QemuArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBuilderPrepare_QMP(t *testing.T) {
+func TestBuilderPrepare_VNCPassword(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
 
-	// QMP Defaults
-	config["qmp_enable"] = true
+	config["vnc_use_password"] = true
 	config["output_directory"] = "not-a-real-directory"
 	b = Builder{}
 	warns, err := b.Prepare(config)
diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_configure_qmp.go b/builder/qemu/step_configure_qmp.go
index 957807a29..fa988ad0b 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_configure_qmp.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_configure_qmp.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func (s *stepConfigureQMP) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mu
 	config := state.Get("config").(*Config)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
-	if !config.QMPEnable {
+	if !config.VNCUsePassword {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
@@ -35,49 +35,46 @@ func (s *stepConfigureQMP) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mu
 	log.Print(msg)
 
 	// Only initialize and open QMP when we have a use for it.
-	// Handles cases where user may want the socket, but we don't
-	if config.VNCUsePassword {
-		// Open QMP socket
-		var err error
-		var cmd []byte
-		var result []byte
-		s.monitor, err = qmp.NewSocketMonitor("unix", config.QMPSocketPath, 2*time.Second)
-		if err != nil {
-			err := fmt.Errorf("Error opening QMP socket: %s", err)
-			state.Put("error", err)
-			ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		}
-		QMPMonitor := s.monitor
-		vncPassword := state.Get("vnc_password")
-
-		// Connect to QMP
-		// function automatically calls capabilities so is immediately ready for commands
-		err = QMPMonitor.Connect()
-		if err != nil {
-			err := fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to QMP socket: %s", err)
-			state.Put("error", err)
-			ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		}
-		log.Printf("QMP socket open SUCCESS")
-
-		cmd = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("{ \"execute\": \"change-vnc-password\", \"arguments\": { \"password\": \"%s\" } }",
-			vncPassword))
-		result, err = QMPMonitor.Run(cmd)
-		if err != nil {
-			err := fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to QMP socket: %s", err)
-			state.Put("error", err)
-			ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		}
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("QMP Command: %s\nResult: %s", cmd, result)
-		log.Printf(msg)
-
-		// Put QMP monitor in statebag in case there is a use in a following step
-		// Uncomment for future case as it is unused for now
-		//state.Put("qmp_monitor", QMPMonitor)
+	// Open QMP socket
+	var err error
+	var cmd []byte
+	var result []byte
+	s.monitor, err = qmp.NewSocketMonitor("unix", config.QMPSocketPath, 2*time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error opening QMP socket: %s", err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
+	QMPMonitor := s.monitor
+	vncPassword := state.Get("vnc_password")
+
+	// Connect to QMP
+	// function automatically calls capabilities so is immediately ready for commands
+	err = QMPMonitor.Connect()
+	if err != nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to QMP socket: %s", err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+	log.Printf("QMP socket open SUCCESS")
+
+	cmd = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("{ \"execute\": \"change-vnc-password\", \"arguments\": { \"password\": \"%s\" } }",
+		vncPassword))
+	result, err = QMPMonitor.Run(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to QMP socket: %s", err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+	msg = fmt.Sprintf("QMP Command: %s\nResult: %s", cmd, result)
+	log.Printf(msg)
+
+	// Put QMP monitor in statebag in case there is a use in a following step
+	// Uncomment for future case as it is unused for now
+	//state.Put("qmp_monitor", QMPMonitor)
 
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_run.go b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
index d5f3030ae..55390168c 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 		vnc = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", vncIP, vncPort-5900)
 	} else {
 		vnc = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d,password", vncIP, vncPort-5900)
+		defaultArgs["-qmp"] = fmt.Sprintf("unix:%s,server,nowait", config.QMPSocketPath)
 	}
 
 	defaultArgs["-name"] = vmName
@@ -90,10 +91,6 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 		defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf("user,id=user.0")
 	}
 
-	if config.QMPEnable {
-		defaultArgs["-qmp"] = fmt.Sprintf("unix:%s,server,nowait", config.QMPSocketPath)
-	}
-
 	rawVersion, err := driver.Version()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/qemu.html.md.erb b/website/source/docs/builders/qemu.html.md.erb
index 4dc0b5f28..fe0a9143e 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/qemu.html.md.erb
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/qemu.html.md.erb
@@ -282,11 +282,7 @@ Linux server and have not enabled X11 forwarding (`ssh -X`).
     switch/value pairs. Any value specified as an empty string is ignored. All
     values after the switch are concatenated with no separator.
 
--   `qmp_enable` (bool) - Enable QMP socket. Location is specified by
-    `qmp_socket_path`.
-    Defaults to false.    
-
--   `qmp_socket_path` (string) - QMP Socket Path when `qmp_enable` is true.
+-   `qmp_socket_path` (string) - QMP Socket Path when `vnc_use_password` is true.
     Defaults to `output_directory`/`vm_name`.monitor.
 
 ~> **Warning:** The qemu command line allows extreme flexibility, so beware
@@ -398,7 +394,7 @@ default port of `5985` or whatever value you have the service set to listen on.
     default this is `5900` to `6000`. The minimum and maximum ports are inclusive.
 
 -   `vnc_use_password` (bool) - Whether or not to set a password on the VNC server.
-    This option automatically sets `qmp_enable` to true.
+    This option automatically enables the QMP socket. See `qmp_socket_path`.
     Defaults to `false`.
 
 ## Boot Command