diff --git a/slirp/if.c b/slirp/if.c
index 14fdef1e57e337e76b90d9a067d2567c1557d5ec..f7aebe95572f5ec14b87750ee8de78e02b47f533 100644
--- a/slirp/if.c
+++ b/slirp/if.c
@@ -163,10 +163,17 @@ void if_start(Slirp *slirp)
 
     DEBUG_CALL("if_start");
 
+    if (slirp->if_start_busy) {
+        return;
+    }
+    slirp->if_start_busy = true;
+
     while (slirp->if_queued) {
         /* check if we can really output */
-        if (!slirp_can_output(slirp->opaque))
+        if (!slirp_can_output(slirp->opaque)) {
+            slirp->if_start_busy = false;
             return;
+        }
 
         /*
          * See which queue to get next packet from
@@ -221,4 +228,6 @@ void if_start(Slirp *slirp)
     }
 
     slirp->if_queued = requeued;
+
+    slirp->if_start_busy = false;
 }
diff --git a/slirp/slirp.h b/slirp/slirp.h
index 28a5c037e6aa4f25f628e63ea0636ab5bd0eb8f4..416d44a996a066c9c032bf456e6d801c7edd5c99 100644
--- a/slirp/slirp.h
+++ b/slirp/slirp.h
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ struct Slirp {
     struct mbuf if_fastq;   /* fast queue (for interactive data) */
     struct mbuf if_batchq;  /* queue for non-interactive data */
     struct mbuf *next_m;    /* pointer to next mbuf to output */
+    bool if_start_busy;     /* avoid if_start recursion */
 
     /* ip states */
     struct ipq ipq;         /* ip reass. queue */