diff --git a/tools/console/daemon/io.c b/tools/console/daemon/io.c
--- a/tools/console/daemon/io.c
+++ b/tools/console/daemon/io.c
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ static int domain_create_ring(struct dom
 {
 	int err, remote_port, ring_ref, rc;
 	char *type, path[PATH_MAX];
+	int rebind = 0;
 
 	err = xs_gather(xs, dom->serialpath,
 			"ring-ref", "%u", &ring_ref,
@@ -548,8 +549,17 @@ static int domain_create_ring(struct dom
 	}
 	free(type);
 
-	if ((ring_ref == dom->ring_ref) && (remote_port == dom->remote_port))
-		goto out;
+	if ((ring_ref == dom->ring_ref) && (remote_port == dom->remote_port)) {
+		xc_evtchn_status_t status = {
+			.dom = DOMID_SELF,
+			.port = dom->local_port };
+
+		if (xc_evtchn_status(xc, &status)
+		    || status.status != EVTCHNSTAT_interdomain)
+			rebind = 1;
+		else
+			goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (ring_ref != dom->ring_ref) {
 		if (dom->interface != NULL)
@@ -565,17 +575,19 @@ static int domain_create_ring(struct dom
 		dom->ring_ref = ring_ref;
 	}
 
-	dom->local_port = -1;
-	dom->remote_port = -1;
-	if (dom->xce_handle != -1)
-		xc_evtchn_close(dom->xce_handle);
+	if (!rebind) {
+		dom->local_port = -1;
+		dom->remote_port = -1;
+		if (dom->xce_handle != -1)
+			xc_evtchn_close(dom->xce_handle);
 
-	/* Opening evtchn independently for each console is a bit
-	 * wasteful, but that's how the code is structured... */
-	dom->xce_handle = xc_evtchn_open();
-	if (dom->xce_handle == -1) {
-		err = errno;
-		goto out;
+		/* Opening evtchn independently for each console is a bit
+		 * wasteful, but that's how the code is structured... */
+		dom->xce_handle = xc_evtchn_open();
+		if (dom->xce_handle == -1) {
+			err = errno;
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
  
 	rc = xc_evtchn_bind_interdomain(dom->xce_handle,