diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
index 8f91d07af55743d252f11738ad1718dea45eee81..dcd2ce76accc358b53a0e04e25b3fab6fe9f75e1 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
@@ -1434,14 +1434,20 @@ int
 qemudPhysIfaceConnect(virConnectPtr conn,
                       virDomainNetDefPtr net,
                       char *linkdev,
-                      int brmode)
+                      int brmode,
+                      unsigned long long qemuCmdFlags)
 {
     int rc;
 #if WITH_MACVTAP
     char *res_ifname = NULL;
+    int vnet_hdr = 0;
+
+    if (qemuCmdFlags & QEMUD_CMD_FLAG_VNET_HDR &&
+        net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
+        vnet_hdr = 1;
 
     rc = openMacvtapTap(conn, net->ifname, net->mac, linkdev, brmode,
-                        &res_ifname);
+                        &res_ifname, vnet_hdr);
     if (rc >= 0) {
         VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
         net->ifname = res_ifname;
@@ -1451,6 +1457,7 @@ qemudPhysIfaceConnect(virConnectPtr conn,
     (void)net;
     (void)linkdev;
     (void)brmode;
+    (void)qemuCmdFlags;
     qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                     "%s", _("No support for macvtap device"));
     rc = -1;
@@ -3752,7 +3759,8 @@ int qemudBuildCommandLine(virConnectPtr conn,
             } else if (net->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT) {
                 int tapfd = qemudPhysIfaceConnect(conn, net,
                                                   net->data.direct.linkdev,
-                                                  net->data.direct.mode);
+                                                  net->data.direct.mode,
+                                                  qemuCmdFlags);
                 if (tapfd < 0)
                     goto error;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
index 4f35a9cb32f434dcbaa410b31ae643da7109aa98..b25c300d9989f57c3cbf7fb3ddc8a7a60f837064 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ int         qemudNetworkIfaceConnect    (virConnectPtr conn,
 int qemudPhysIfaceConnect(virConnectPtr conn,
                           virDomainNetDefPtr net,
                           char *linkdev,
-                          int brmode);
+                          int brmode,
+                          unsigned long long qemuCmdFlags);
 
 int         qemudProbeMachineTypes      (const char *binary,
                                          virCapsGuestMachinePtr **machines,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 0fb2413b1eec76b160984d614fbcc23deaaad3e9..3d121fb586c03e6c6dec003b905eee31b13f6ff8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -5725,7 +5725,8 @@ static int qemudDomainAttachNetDevice(virConnectPtr conn,
 
         if ((tapfd = qemudPhysIfaceConnect(conn, net,
                                            net->data.direct.linkdev,
-                                           net->data.direct.mode)) < 0)
+                                           net->data.direct.mode,
+                                           qemuCmdFlags)) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util/macvtap.c b/src/util/macvtap.c
index 88a64ceb883371ad41b63345cccdec8b85c5ad89..8c29588961aee358c4dab0f94667f9ef3ea38a58 100644
--- a/src/util/macvtap.c
+++ b/src/util/macvtap.c
@@ -614,6 +614,64 @@ macvtapModeFromInt(enum virDomainNetdevMacvtapType mode)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * configMacvtapTap:
+ * @tapfd: file descriptor of the macvtap tap
+ * @vnet_hdr: 1 to enable IFF_VNET_HDR, 0 to disable it
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 in case of fatal error, error code otherwise.
+ *
+ * Turn the IFF_VNET_HDR flag, if requested and available, make sure
+ * it's off in the other cases.
+ * A fatal error is defined as the VNET_HDR flag being set but it cannot
+ * be turned off for some reason. This is reported with -1. Other fatal
+ * error is not being able to read the interface flags. In that case the
+ * macvtap device should not be used.
+ */
+static int
+configMacvtapTap(int tapfd, int vnet_hdr)
+{
+    unsigned int features;
+    struct ifreq ifreq;
+    short new_flags = 0;
+    int rc_on_fail = 0;
+    const char *errmsg = NULL;
+
+    memset(&ifreq, 0, sizeof(ifreq));
+
+    if (ioctl(tapfd, TUNGETIFF, &ifreq) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
+                             _("cannot get interface flags on macvtap tap"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    new_flags = ifreq.ifr_flags;
+
+    if ((ifreq.ifr_flags & IFF_VNET_HDR) && !vnet_hdr) {
+        new_flags = ifreq.ifr_flags & ~IFF_VNET_HDR;
+        rc_on_fail = -1;
+        errmsg = _("cannot clean IFF_VNET_HDR flag on macvtap tap");
+    } else if ((ifreq.ifr_flags & IFF_VNET_HDR) == 0 && vnet_hdr) {
+        if (ioctl(tapfd, TUNGETFEATURES, &features) != 0)
+            return errno;
+        if ((features & IFF_VNET_HDR)) {
+            new_flags = ifreq.ifr_flags | IFF_VNET_HDR;
+            errmsg = _("cannot set IFF_VNET_HDR flag on macvtap tap");
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (new_flags != ifreq.ifr_flags) {
+        ifreq.ifr_flags = new_flags;
+        if (ioctl(tapfd, TUNSETIFF, &ifreq) < 0) {
+            virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", errmsg);
+            return rc_on_fail;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * openMacvtapTap:
  * Create an instance of a macvtap device and open its tap character
@@ -640,7 +698,8 @@ openMacvtapTap(virConnectPtr conn,
                const unsigned char *macaddress,
                const char *linkdev,
                int mode,
-               char **res_ifname)
+               char **res_ifname,
+               int vnet_hdr)
 {
     const char *type = "macvtap";
     int c, rc;
@@ -699,9 +758,14 @@ create_name:
 
     rc = openTap(cr_ifname, 10);
 
-    if (rc >= 0)
+    if (rc >= 0) {
+        if (configMacvtapTap(rc, vnet_hdr) < 0) {
+            close(rc);
+            rc = -1;
+            goto link_del_exit;
+        }
         *res_ifname = strdup(cr_ifname);
-    else
+    } else
         goto link_del_exit;
 
     return rc;
diff --git a/src/util/macvtap.h b/src/util/macvtap.h
index a1a0a7a8afed25b4da88b4c06847a0d716dfef88..4c2fe8acd73c5e24c2759d00942ae9244fc06373 100644
--- a/src/util/macvtap.h
+++ b/src/util/macvtap.h
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ int openMacvtapTap(virConnectPtr conn,
                    const unsigned char *macaddress,
                    const char *linkdev,
                    int mode,
-                   char **res_ifname);
+                   char **res_ifname,
+                   int vnet_hdr);
 
-void delMacvtap(const char *name);
+void delMacvtap(const char *ifname);
 
 #endif /* WITH_MACVTAP */