diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 38b65f49050869f672598f7c33d72ef647a02f16..509f074c3d079f927b7b48b4c8e597cfbd66fc45 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -812,9 +812,6 @@ static int net_init_nic(QemuOpts *opts,
     }
 
     nd->used = 1;
-    if (vlan) {
-        nd->vlan->nb_guest_devs++;
-    }
     nb_nics++;
 
     return idx;
@@ -1278,13 +1275,27 @@ void net_cleanup(void)
 void net_check_clients(void)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
+    VLANClientState *vc;
+    int has_nic, has_host_dev;
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(vlan, &vlans, next) {
-        if (vlan->nb_guest_devs == 0 && vlan->nb_host_devs == 0)
-            continue;
-        if (vlan->nb_guest_devs == 0)
+        QTAILQ_FOREACH(vc, &vlan->clients, next) {
+            switch (vc->info->type) {
+            case NET_CLIENT_TYPE_NIC:
+                has_nic = 1;
+                break;
+            case NET_CLIENT_TYPE_SLIRP:
+            case NET_CLIENT_TYPE_TAP:
+            case NET_CLIENT_TYPE_SOCKET:
+            case NET_CLIENT_TYPE_VDE:
+                has_host_dev = 1;
+                break;
+            default: ;
+            }
+        }
+        if (has_host_dev && !has_nic)
             fprintf(stderr, "Warning: vlan %d with no nics\n", vlan->id);
-        if (vlan->nb_host_devs == 0)
+        if (has_nic && !has_host_dev)
             fprintf(stderr,
                     "Warning: vlan %d is not connected to host network\n",
                     vlan->id);
diff --git a/net.h b/net.h
index 3467c1087819de3330425ed94a7911847080981b..33a1eafaec227a8f097a62e767d9d84fcc168f08 100644
--- a/net.h
+++ b/net.h
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ struct VLANState {
     int id;
     QTAILQ_HEAD(, VLANClientState) clients;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(VLANState) next;
-    unsigned int nb_guest_devs, nb_host_devs;
     NetQueue *send_queue;
 };
 
diff --git a/net/slirp.c b/net/slirp.c
index 361899b8f225f5d054f3583a754224266aee132c..317cca7f63f2598703c04ba2a97f16f6f358ae4a 100644
--- a/net/slirp.c
+++ b/net/slirp.c
@@ -738,10 +738,6 @@ int net_init_slirp(QemuOpts *opts,
         qemu_free(config);
     }
 
-    if (ret != -1 && vlan) {
-        vlan->nb_host_devs++;
-    }
-
     qemu_free(vnet);
 
     return ret;
diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index 5533737e4b7d3e0989e957a547249e6947c46625..442a9c790c337d5a98862133349ec398b6396b60 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -569,9 +569,5 @@ int net_init_socket(QemuOpts *opts,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (vlan) {
-        vlan->nb_host_devs++;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/tap-win32.c b/net/tap-win32.c
index b717c17243e0764e5ac09a86bd4a7398af4eb64e..8370c803bf4373ba8237e6018ef3019e0a1c317c 100644
--- a/net/tap-win32.c
+++ b/net/tap-win32.c
@@ -714,10 +714,6 @@ int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name, VLANState *vlan
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (vlan) {
-        vlan->nb_host_devs++;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index d3492de1164d9b30cb6fb9b9e6151a84b8541b1d..7a7320c1a223e47cba3c0be94f0aba32d9dd0365 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -449,9 +449,5 @@ int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name, VLANState *vlan
         }
     }
 
-    if (vlan) {
-        vlan->nb_host_devs++;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/vde.c b/net/vde.c
index 42b4633501a7e9462667142ba00fc817cb080afa..0b46fa6405b2cd3d304ba5cd5709394c429584c0 100644
--- a/net/vde.c
+++ b/net/vde.c
@@ -127,9 +127,5 @@ int net_init_vde(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name, VLANState *vlan
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (vlan) {
-        vlan->nb_host_devs++;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }