diff --git a/hw/net/vhost_net.c b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
index f87c79824b339371edb5e711448adcf0349109ea..9bbf2ee4ce07d44063ed66f432574f498914ae43 100644
--- a/hw/net/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
@@ -195,10 +195,6 @@ static int vhost_net_start_one(struct vhost_net *net,
     struct vhost_vring_file file = { };
     int r;
 
-    if (net->dev.started) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     net->dev.nvqs = 2;
     net->dev.vqs = net->vqs;
     net->dev.vq_index = vq_index;
@@ -256,10 +252,6 @@ static void vhost_net_stop_one(struct vhost_net *net,
 {
     struct vhost_vring_file file = { .fd = -1 };
 
-    if (!net->dev.started) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     if (net->nc->info->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP) {
         for (file.index = 0; file.index < net->dev.nvqs; ++file.index) {
             const VhostOps *vhost_ops = net->dev.vhost_ops;