diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 67e6ec34a806cebf4b1f6cc729bf9f37083d6d7c..61ab4440a59ef5f2be6ad515a86b7159a41af5f8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -935,6 +935,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                           virDomainNetDefPtr net)
 {
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
+    virErrorPtr originalError = NULL;
     char **tapfdName = NULL;
     int *tapfd = NULL;
     size_t tapfdSize = 0;
@@ -1320,6 +1321,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (!virDomainObjIsActive(vm))
         goto cleanup;
 
+    originalError = virSaveLastError();
     if (vlan < 0) {
         if (virQEMUCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_NETDEV)) {
             char *netdev_name;
@@ -1350,6 +1352,8 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         ignore_value(qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(driver, vm));
         VIR_FREE(hostnet_name);
     }
+    virSetError(originalError);
+    virFreeError(originalError);
     goto cleanup;
 }