diff --git a/hw/display/xlnx_dp.c b/hw/display/xlnx_dp.c
index cc0f9bc9cc8b..fbaf69486bd8 100644
--- a/hw/display/xlnx_dp.c
+++ b/hw/display/xlnx_dp.c
@@ -426,11 +426,18 @@ static uint8_t xlnx_dp_aux_pop_rx_fifo(XlnxDPState *s)
     uint8_t ret;
 
     if (fifo8_is_empty(&s->rx_fifo)) {
-        DPRINTF("rx_fifo underflow..\n");
-        abort();
+        qemu_log_mask(LOG_GUEST_ERROR,
+                      "%s: Reading empty RX_FIFO\n",
+                      __func__);
+        /*
+         * The datasheet is not clear about the reset value, it seems
+         * to be unspecified. We choose to return '0'.
+         */
+        ret = 0;
+    } else {
+        ret = fifo8_pop(&s->rx_fifo);
+        DPRINTF("pop 0x%" PRIX8 " from rx_fifo.\n", ret);
     }
-    ret = fifo8_pop(&s->rx_fifo);
-    DPRINTF("pop 0x%" PRIX8 " from rx_fifo.\n", ret);
     return ret;
 }