diff --git a/src/conf/interface_conf.c b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
index 883053f92390cf20aed8be42aef86165fc7d7298..141b4a26320998dc7bc668323e13a7b10441ca2a 100644
--- a/src/conf/interface_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virInterface,
 static virInterfaceDefPtr
 virInterfaceDefParseXML(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt, int parentIfType);
 static int
-virInterfaceDefDevFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def);
+virInterfaceDefDevFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def,
+                         virInterfaceType parentIfType);
 
 static
 void virInterfaceIpDefFree(virInterfaceIpDefPtr def)
@@ -870,7 +871,8 @@ virInterfaceBridgeDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def)
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
 
     for (i = 0; i < def->data.bridge.nbItf; i++) {
-        if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(buf, def->data.bridge.itf[i]) < 0)
+        if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(buf, def->data.bridge.itf[i],
+                                     VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_BRIDGE) < 0)
             ret = -1;
     }
 
@@ -932,7 +934,8 @@ virInterfaceBondDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def)
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
     }
     for (i = 0; i < def->data.bond.nbItf; i++) {
-        if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(buf, def->data.bond.itf[i]) < 0)
+        if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(buf, def->data.bond.itf[i],
+                                     VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_BOND) < 0)
             ret = -1;
     }
 
@@ -1035,7 +1038,8 @@ virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
 }
 
 static int
-virInterfaceDefDevFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def)
+virInterfaceDefDevFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def,
+                         virInterfaceType parentIfType)
 {
     const char *type = NULL;
 
@@ -1063,39 +1067,33 @@ virInterfaceDefDevFormat(virBufferPtr buf, const virInterfaceDef *def)
     virBufferAddLit(buf, ">\n");
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
 
+    if (parentIfType == VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_LAST) {
+        /* these elements are only valid on top-level interfaces - IP
+         * address info ("protocol") only makes sense for the
+         * top-level, and subordinate interfaces inherit the toplevel
+         * setting for mtu and start mode, which cannot be overridden.
+         */
+        virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(buf, def->startmode);
+        if (def->mtu)
+            virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mtu size='%d'/>\n", def->mtu);
+        virInterfaceProtocolDefFormat(buf, def);
+    }
+
+    if (def->type != VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_BRIDGE) {
+        virInterfaceLinkFormat(buf, &def->lnk);
+    }
     switch (def->type) {
         case VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_ETHERNET:
-            virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(buf, def->startmode);
-            if (def->mac != NULL)
+            if (def->mac)
                 virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mac address='%s'/>\n", def->mac);
-            virInterfaceLinkFormat(buf, &def->lnk);
-            if (def->mtu != 0)
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mtu size='%d'/>\n", def->mtu);
-            virInterfaceProtocolDefFormat(buf, def);
             break;
         case VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_BRIDGE:
-            virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(buf, def->startmode);
-            if (def->mtu != 0)
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mtu size='%d'/>\n", def->mtu);
-            virInterfaceProtocolDefFormat(buf, def);
             virInterfaceBridgeDefFormat(buf, def);
             break;
         case VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_BOND:
-            virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(buf, def->startmode);
-            virInterfaceLinkFormat(buf, &def->lnk);
-            if (def->mtu != 0)
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mtu size='%d'/>\n", def->mtu);
-            virInterfaceProtocolDefFormat(buf, def);
             virInterfaceBondDefFormat(buf, def);
             break;
         case VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_VLAN:
-            virInterfaceStartmodeDefFormat(buf, def->startmode);
-            if (def->mac != NULL)
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mac address='%s'/>\n", def->mac);
-            virInterfaceLinkFormat(buf, &def->lnk);
-            if (def->mtu != 0)
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mtu size='%d'/>\n", def->mtu);
-            virInterfaceProtocolDefFormat(buf, def);
             virInterfaceVlanDefFormat(buf, def);
             break;
     }
@@ -1116,7 +1114,7 @@ char *virInterfaceDefFormat(const virInterfaceDef *def)
 {
     virBuffer buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
 
-    if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(&buf, def) < 0) {
+    if (virInterfaceDefDevFormat(&buf, def, VIR_INTERFACE_TYPE_LAST) < 0) {
         virBufferFreeAndReset(&buf);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bond.xml b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bond.xml
index cbc1dfa8aa4a0afd014c7da11ae5a035fc0d0f7e..3d24beae9f963b8bd136b210c6ce3dfc83c2a885 100644
--- a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bond.xml
+++ b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bond.xml
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 <interface type='bond' name='bond0'>
   <start mode='none'/>
-  <link speed='1000' state='up'/>
   <protocol family='ipv4'>
     <ip address='192.168.50.7' prefix='24'/>
     <route gateway='192.168.50.1'/>
   </protocol>
+  <link speed='1000' state='up'/>
   <bond mode='active-backup'>
     <miimon freq='100' updelay='10' carrier='ioctl'/>
     <interface type='ethernet' name='eth1'>
diff --git a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge-no-address.xml b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge-no-address.xml
index 68b8c94bf1ca7dfc324e4d0e553459fd434b8b68..fd6c1a753ecd6eae79f070019c1e54f04a8c063f 100644
--- a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge-no-address.xml
+++ b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge-no-address.xml
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
   <mtu size='1500'/>
   <bridge stp='off'>
     <interface type='ethernet' name='eth0'>
-      <mac address='ab:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
       <link speed='1000' state='up'/>
+      <mac address='ab:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
     </interface>
     <interface type='ethernet' name='eth1'>
     </interface>
diff --git a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge.xml b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge.xml
index c865116548216ddf87bee2e7266da6e93d5e3f6b..ece087ea2ef5e3a85fd708ff44286acb15680a64 100644
--- a/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge.xml
+++ b/tests/interfaceschemadata/bridge.xml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
   </protocol>
   <bridge stp='off' delay='0.01'>
     <interface type='ethernet' name='eth0'>
-      <mac address='ab:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
       <link speed='10'/>
+      <mac address='ab:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
     </interface>
     <interface type='ethernet' name='eth1'>
     </interface>
diff --git a/tests/interfaceschemadata/ethernet-dhcp.xml b/tests/interfaceschemadata/ethernet-dhcp.xml
index c124372ff1efce5fd87409320bfeb86eb212af36..9a8a16032310f61b6324ef1319126834f1355684 100644
--- a/tests/interfaceschemadata/ethernet-dhcp.xml
+++ b/tests/interfaceschemadata/ethernet-dhcp.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <interface type='ethernet' name='eth0'>
   <start mode='none'/>
-  <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
-  <link state='down'/>
   <mtu size='1492'/>
   <protocol family='ipv4'>
     <dhcp peerdns='no'/>
   </protocol>
+  <link state='down'/>
+  <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
 </interface>
diff --git a/tests/interfaceschemadata/vlan.xml b/tests/interfaceschemadata/vlan.xml
index 6432b9624001a5d6d53855eb1b093f82b697dcdb..301377788ae0ad1a92000603ea8736fdefd64341 100644
--- a/tests/interfaceschemadata/vlan.xml
+++ b/tests/interfaceschemadata/vlan.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <interface type='vlan' name='eth0.42'>
   <start mode='onboot'/>
-  <link state='lowerlayerdown'/>
   <protocol family='ipv4'>
     <dhcp peerdns='no'/>
   </protocol>
+  <link state='lowerlayerdown'/>
   <vlan tag='42'>
     <interface name='eth0'/>
   </vlan>