diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index ae4bc0d4319695f328742a3afad2a343abb961ee..e8ae13e2831dcd90f67a8499d313fd1d624181af 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ exit_err:
 void qmp_netdev_del(const char *id, Error **errp)
 {
     NetClientState *nc;
+    QemuOpts *opts;
 
     nc = qemu_find_netdev(id);
     if (!nc) {
@@ -834,8 +835,14 @@ void qmp_netdev_del(const char *id, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    opts = qemu_opts_find(qemu_find_opts_err("netdev", NULL), id);
+    if (!opts) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Device '%s' is not a netdev", id);
+        return;
+    }
+
     qemu_del_net_client(nc);
-    qemu_opts_del(qemu_opts_find(qemu_find_opts_err("netdev", errp), id));
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
 }
 
 void print_net_client(Monitor *mon, NetClientState *nc)