diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 3e1e0313c98f59a6f39fcfd8964df40b0fa9b184..cf75d2614bf59e2a8126c0df0af13bb9078a65fd 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -1766,7 +1766,8 @@ networkStartNetworkVirtual(struct network_driver *driver,
         }
         if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(network->def->bridge,
                                            &macTapIfName, network->def->mac,
-                                           false, 0, false, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
+                                           NULL, NULL,
+                                           VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_USE_MAC_FOR_BRIDGE) < 0) {
             VIR_FREE(macTapIfName);
             goto err0;
         }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index a6536ab2eab90e23ddb22385d92ee4a0fcfd86ad..cddd6aa0a159a67a21b1a7150fe4e3075d04a245 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     char *brname = NULL;
     int err;
     int tapfd = -1;
-    int vnet_hdr = 0;
+    unsigned int tap_create_flags = VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_IFUP;
     bool template_ifname = false;
     int actualType = virDomainNetGetActualType(net);
 
@@ -240,12 +240,13 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     }
 
     if (qemuCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_VNET_HDR) &&
-        net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
-        vnet_hdr = 1;
+        net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio")) {
+        tap_create_flags |= VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR;
+    }
 
-    err = virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(brname, &net->ifname, net->mac, true,
-                                         vnet_hdr, true, &tapfd,
-                                         virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net));
+    err = virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(brname, &net->ifname, net->mac, &tapfd,
+                                         virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net),
+                                         tap_create_flags);
     virDomainAuditNetDevice(def, net, "/dev/net/tun", tapfd >= 0);
     if (err < 0) {
         if (template_ifname)
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_conf.c b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
index c7b29a0c501e39c13591ea127dfd228df1ef872d..89fdd9fb4cfe6325d66c8cbb3c0751feae103013 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_conf.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * uml_conf.c: UML driver configuration
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2006-2011 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2006-2012 Red Hat, Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2006 Daniel P. Berrange
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ umlConnectTapDevice(virConnectPtr conn,
         template_ifname = true;
     }
 
-    if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(bridge, &net->ifname, net->mac, true,
-                                       0, true, NULL,
-                                       virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net)) < 0) {
+    if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(bridge, &net->ifname, net->mac, NULL,
+                                       virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net),
+                                       VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_IFUP) < 0) {
         if (template_ifname)
             VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
         goto error;
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevtap.c b/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
index 868ba57b08202d5e60f6b2313a7b75764dff801c..fb0a8d244b3259452c0a0e4930036db7682d7403 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
@@ -107,22 +107,25 @@ virNetDevProbeVnetHdr(int tapfd)
 
 #ifdef TUNSETIFF
 /**
- * brCreateTap:
+ * virNetDevTapCreate:
  * @ifname: the interface name
- * @vnet_hr: whether to try enabling IFF_VNET_HDR
  * @tapfd: file descriptor return value for the new tap device
+ * @flags: OR of virNetDevTapCreateFlags. Only one flag is recognized:
+ *
+ *   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR
+ *     - Enable IFF_VNET_HDR on the tap device
  *
  * Creates a tap interface.
  * If the @tapfd parameter is supplied, the open tap device file
  * descriptor will be returned, otherwise the TAP device will be made
- * persistent and closed. The caller must use brDeleteTap to remove
- * a persistent TAP devices when it is no longer needed.
+ * persistent and closed. The caller must use virNetDevTapDelete to
+ * remove a persistent TAP devices when it is no longer needed.
  *
  * Returns 0 in case of success or an errno code in case of failure.
  */
 int virNetDevTapCreate(char **ifname,
-                       int vnet_hdr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                       int *tapfd)
+                       int *tapfd,
+                       unsigned int flags ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     int fd;
     struct ifreq ifr;
@@ -139,7 +142,8 @@ int virNetDevTapCreate(char **ifname,
     ifr.ifr_flags = IFF_TAP|IFF_NO_PI;
 
 # ifdef IFF_VNET_HDR
-    if (vnet_hdr && virNetDevProbeVnetHdr(fd))
+    if ((flags &  VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR) &&
+        virNetDevProbeVnetHdr(fd))
         ifr.ifr_flags |= IFF_VNET_HDR;
 # endif
 
@@ -228,8 +232,8 @@ cleanup:
 }
 #else /* ! TUNSETIFF */
 int virNetDevTapCreate(char **ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                       int vnet_hdr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                       int *tapfd ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+                       int *tapfd ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                       unsigned int flags ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     virReportSystemError(ENOSYS, "%s",
                          _("Unable to create TAP devices on this platform"));
@@ -249,17 +253,23 @@ int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
  * @brname: the bridge name
  * @ifname: the interface name (or name template)
  * @macaddr: desired MAC address (VIR_MAC_BUFLEN long)
- * @discourage: whether bridge should be discouraged from using macaddr
- * @vnet_hdr: whether to try enabling IFF_VNET_HDR
  * @tapfd: file descriptor return value for the new tap device
  * @virtPortProfile: bridge/port specific configuration
+ * @flags: OR of virNetDevTapCreateFlags:
+
+ *   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_IFUP
+ *     - Bring the interface up
+ *   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR
+ *     - Enable IFF_VNET_HDR on the tap device
+ *   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_USE_MAC_FOR_BRIDGE
+ *     - Set this interface's MAC as the bridge's MAC address
  *
  * This function creates a new tap device on a bridge. @ifname can be either
  * a fixed name or a name template with '%d' for dynamic name allocation.
  * in either case the final name for the bridge will be stored in @ifname.
  * If the @tapfd parameter is supplied, the open tap device file
  * descriptor will be returned, otherwise the TAP device will be made
- * persistent and closed. The caller must use brDeleteTap to remove
+ * persistent and closed. The caller must use virNetDevTapDelete to remove
  * a persistent TAP devices when it is no longer needed.
  *
  * Returns 0 in case of success or -1 on failure
@@ -267,15 +277,13 @@ int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
                                    char **ifname,
                                    const unsigned char *macaddr,
-                                   bool discourage,
-                                   int vnet_hdr,
-                                   bool up,
                                    int *tapfd,
-                                   virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPortProfile)
+                                   virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPortProfile,
+                                   unsigned int flags)
 {
     unsigned char tapmac[VIR_MAC_BUFLEN];
 
-    if (virNetDevTapCreate(ifname, vnet_hdr, tapfd) < 0)
+    if (virNetDevTapCreate(ifname, tapfd, flags) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     /* We need to set the interface MAC before adding it
@@ -285,7 +293,7 @@ int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
      * device before we set our static MAC.
      */
     memcpy(tapmac, macaddr, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
-    if (discourage)
+    if (!(flags & VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_USE_MAC_FOR_BRIDGE))
         tapmac[0] = 0xFE; /* Discourage bridge from using TAP dev MAC */
 
     if (virNetDevSetMAC(*ifname, tapmac) < 0)
@@ -308,7 +316,7 @@ int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
             goto error;
     }
 
-    if (virNetDevSetOnline(*ifname, up) < 0)
+    if (virNetDevSetOnline(*ifname, !!(flags & VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_IFUP)) < 0)
         goto error;
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevtap.h b/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
index fc50e22e402ddd355730ce7782b4d107623923b6..971b166460c845511b30a40ca2ed64e7a07f0327 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
@@ -27,21 +27,29 @@
 # include "virnetdevvportprofile.h"
 
 int virNetDevTapCreate(char **ifname,
-                       int vnet_hdr,
-                       int *tapfd)
+                       int *tapfd,
+                       unsigned int flags)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
+typedef enum {
+   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_NONE = 0,
+   /* Bring the interface up */
+   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_IFUP               = 1 << 0,
+   /* Enable IFF_VNET_HDR on the tap device */
+   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR           = 1 << 1,
+   /* Set this interface's MAC as the bridge's MAC address */
+   VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_USE_MAC_FOR_BRIDGE = 1 << 2,
+} virNetDevTapCreateFlags;
+
 int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
                                    char **ifname,
                                    const unsigned char *macaddr,
-                                   bool discourage,
-                                   int vnet_hdr,
-                                   bool up,
                                    int *tapfd,
-                                   virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPortProfile)
+                                   virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPortProfile,
+                                   unsigned int flags)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3)
     ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;