diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index 98068625d4e486b5d3221a9ae2ec9a806bdd7b2e..f9e7136a2bfdb13ac6ba5d8b3b21cc8764813910 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ void qemu_del_net_client(NetClientState *nc)
 
 void qemu_del_nic(NICState *nic)
 {
-    int i, queues = nic->conf->queues;
+    int i, queues = MAX(nic->conf->queues, 1);
 
     /* If this is a peer NIC and peer has already been deleted, free it now. */
     if (nic->peer_deleted) {