diff --git a/src/firstboot/firstboot.c b/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
index 55bd273f21..38e3adaed6 100644
--- a/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
+++ b/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "parse-util.h"
 #include "password-quality-util.h"
 #include "path-util.h"
+#include "plymouth-util.h"
 #include "pretty-print.h"
 #include "proc-cmdline.h"
 #include "prompt-util.h"
@@ -110,6 +111,10 @@ static void print_welcome(int rfd, sd_varlink **mute_console_link) {
         assert(rfd >= 0);
         assert(mute_console_link);
 
+        /* Needs to be called before mute_console or it will garble the screen */
+        if (arg_welcome)
+                (void) plymouth_hide_splash();
+
         if (!*mute_console_link && arg_mute_console)
                 (void) mute_console(mute_console_link);
 
diff --git a/src/home/homectl.c b/src/home/homectl.c
index 6079f311de..c6a3d4b3eb 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "percent-util.h"
 #include "pidref.h"
 #include "pkcs11-util.h"
+#include "plymouth-util.h"
 #include "polkit-agent.h"
 #include "pretty-print.h"
 #include "proc-cmdline.h"
@@ -2891,6 +2892,9 @@ static int create_interactively(void) {
                 return 0;
         }
 
+        /* Needs to be called before mute_console or it will garble the screen */
+        (void) plymouth_hide_splash();
+
         _cleanup_(sd_varlink_flush_close_unrefp) sd_varlink *mute_console_link = NULL;
         (void) mute_console(&mute_console_link);
 
@@ -3265,17 +3269,17 @@ static int parse_size_field(sd_json_variant **identity, const char *field, const
 
 static int parse_boolean_field(sd_json_variant **identity, const char *field, const char *arg) {
         int r;
- 
+
         assert(identity);
         assert(field);
 
         if (isempty(arg))
                 return drop_from_identity(field);
- 
+
         r = parse_boolean(arg);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse boolean parameter %s: %s", field, arg);
- 
+
         r = sd_json_variant_set_field_boolean(identity, field, r > 0);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to set %s field: %m", field);
diff --git a/src/shared/plymouth-util.c b/src/shared/plymouth-util.c
index aaf604afd5..38b4f1fe2a 100644
--- a/src/shared/plymouth-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/plymouth-util.c
@@ -56,3 +56,14 @@ int plymouth_send_msg(const char *text, bool pause_spinner) {
 
         return 0;
 }
+
+int plymouth_hide_splash(void) {
+        int r;
+
+        r = plymouth_send_raw("H\0", 2, SOCK_NONBLOCK);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_full_errno(ERRNO_IS_NO_PLYMOUTH(r) ? LOG_DEBUG : LOG_WARNING, r,
+                                      "Failed to communicate with plymouth: %m");
+
+        return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/shared/plymouth-util.h b/src/shared/plymouth-util.h
index c73b44567c..4030c5bdb6 100644
--- a/src/shared/plymouth-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/plymouth-util.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 int plymouth_connect(int flags);
 int plymouth_send_raw(const void *raw, size_t size, int flags);
 int plymouth_send_msg(const char *text, bool pause_spinner);
+int plymouth_hide_splash(void);
 
 static inline bool ERRNO_IS_NO_PLYMOUTH(int r) {
         return IN_SET(ABS(r), EAGAIN, ENOENT) || ERRNO_IS_DISCONNECT(r);
diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
index 06f6961b1a..c2be2c8038 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
@@ -2451,9 +2451,11 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                         return log_oom();
         }
 
-        r = strv_prepend(&arg_kernel_cmdline_extra, "console=hvc0");
-        if (r < 0)
-                return log_oom();
+        if (arg_console_mode != CONSOLE_GUI) {
+                r = strv_prepend(&arg_kernel_cmdline_extra, "console=hvc0");
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return log_oom();
+        }
 
         for (size_t j = 0; j < arg_runtime_mounts.n_mounts; j++) {
                 RuntimeMount *m = arg_runtime_mounts.mounts + j;