diff --git a/src/xenxs/xen_sxpr.c b/src/xenxs/xen_sxpr.c
index d2ec3709f52703ae540e30588c994b62ccc34fe9..a2fdc71a55c004fa32e884d10c3ffd116f51af20 100644
--- a/src/xenxs/xen_sxpr.c
+++ b/src/xenxs/xen_sxpr.c
@@ -510,7 +510,6 @@ xenParseSxprNets(virDomainDefPtr def,
         node = cur->u.s.car;
         if (sexpr_lookup(node, "device/vif")) {
             const char *tmp2, *model, *type;
-            char buf[50];
             tmp2 = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/script");
             tmp = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/bridge");
             model = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/model");
@@ -547,12 +546,16 @@ xenParseSxprNets(virDomainDefPtr def,
             }
 
             tmp = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/vifname");
-            if (!tmp) {
-                snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "vif%d.%d", def->id, vif_index);
-                tmp = buf;
+            /* If vifname is specified in xend config, include it in net
+             * definition regardless of domain state.  If vifname is not
+             * specified, only generate one if domain is active (id != -1). */
+            if (tmp) {
+                if (!(net->ifname = strdup(tmp)))
+                    goto no_memory;
+            } else if (def->id != -1) {
+                if (virAsprintf(&net->ifname, "vif%d.%d", def->id, vif_index) < 0)
+                    goto no_memory;
             }
-            if (!(net->ifname = strdup(tmp)))
-                goto no_memory;
 
             tmp = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/mac");
             if (tmp) {