diff --git a/qemu-option.c b/qemu-option.c
index de41c06..49efd39 100644
--- a/qemu-option.c
+++ b/qemu-option.c
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@
 struct QemuOpts {
     const char *id;
     QemuOptsList *list;
-    QTAILQ_HEAD(, QemuOpt) head;
+    QTAILQ_HEAD(QemuOptHead, QemuOpt) head;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(QemuOpts) next;
 };
 
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@
 {
     QemuOpt *opt;
 
-    QTAILQ_FOREACH(opt, &opts->head, next) {
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(opt, &opts->head, QemuOptHead, next) {
         if (strcmp(opt->name, name) != 0)
             continue;
         return opt;
@@ -565,36 +565,31 @@
 int qemu_opt_set(QemuOpts *opts, const char *name, const char *value)
 {
     QemuOpt *opt;
+    QemuOptDesc *desc = opts->list->desc;
+    int i;
 
-    opt = qemu_opt_find(opts, name);
-    if (!opt) {
-        QemuOptDesc *desc = opts->list->desc;
-        int i;
-
-        for (i = 0; desc[i].name != NULL; i++) {
-            if (strcmp(desc[i].name, name) == 0) {
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        if (desc[i].name == NULL) {
-            if (i == 0) {
-                /* empty list -> allow any */;
-            } else {
-                fprintf(stderr, "option \"%s\" is not valid for %s\n",
-                        name, opts->list->name);
-                return -1;
-            }
-        }
-        opt = qemu_mallocz(sizeof(*opt));
-        opt->name = qemu_strdup(name);
-        opt->opts = opts;
-        QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&opts->head, opt, next);
-        if (desc[i].name != NULL) {
-            opt->desc = desc+i;
+    for (i = 0; desc[i].name != NULL; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(desc[i].name, name) == 0) {
+            break;
         }
     }
-    qemu_free((/* !const */ char*)opt->str);
-    opt->str = NULL;
+    if (desc[i].name == NULL) {
+        if (i == 0) {
+            /* empty list -> allow any */;
+        } else {
+            fprintf(stderr, "option \"%s\" is not valid for %s\n",
+                    name, opts->list->name);
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    opt = qemu_mallocz(sizeof(*opt));
+    opt->name = qemu_strdup(name);
+    opt->opts = opts;
+    QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&opts->head, opt, next);
+    if (desc[i].name != NULL) {
+        opt->desc = desc+i;
+    }
     if (value) {
         opt->str = qemu_strdup(value);
     }