diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 5f3132c4cd..79d3010f05 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -2533,6 +2533,7 @@ static char *networkGetXMLDesc(virNetworkPtr net,
 {
     struct network_driver *driver = net->conn->networkPrivateData;
     virNetworkObjPtr network;
+    virNetworkDefPtr def;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_XML_INACTIVE, NULL);
@@ -2547,7 +2548,12 @@ static char *networkGetXMLDesc(virNetworkPtr net,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = virNetworkDefFormat(network->def, flags);
+    if ((flags & VIR_NETWORK_XML_INACTIVE) && network->newDef)
+        def = network->newDef;
+    else
+        def = network->def;
+
+    ret = virNetworkDefFormat(def, flags);
 
 cleanup:
     if (network)
diff --git a/tools/virsh.c b/tools/virsh.c
index 90ea43d827..98305c0d7e 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.c
+++ b/tools/virsh.c
@@ -15823,13 +15823,29 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_network_edit[] = {
     {NULL, 0, 0, NULL}
 };
 
+static char *vshNetworkGetXMLDesc(virNetworkPtr network)
+{
+    unsigned int flags = VIR_NETWORK_XML_INACTIVE;
+    char *doc = virNetworkGetXMLDesc(network, flags);
+
+    if (!doc && last_error->code == VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG) {
+        /* The server side libvirt doesn't support
+         * VIR_NETWORK_XML_INACTIVE, so retry without it.
+         */
+        virFreeError(last_error);
+        last_error = NULL;
+        flags &= ~VIR_NETWORK_XML_INACTIVE;
+        doc = virNetworkGetXMLDesc(network, flags);
+    }
+    return doc;
+}
+
 static bool
 cmdNetworkEdit(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     bool ret = false;
     virNetworkPtr network = NULL;
     virNetworkPtr network_edited = NULL;
-    unsigned int flags = 0;
 
     if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
         goto cleanup;
@@ -15838,7 +15854,7 @@ cmdNetworkEdit(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     if (network == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
 
-#define EDIT_GET_XML virNetworkGetXMLDesc(network, flags)
+#define EDIT_GET_XML vshNetworkGetXMLDesc(network)
 #define EDIT_NOT_CHANGED \
     vshPrint(ctl, _("Network %s XML configuration not changed.\n"), \
              virNetworkGetName (network));                          \
diff --git a/tools/virsh.pod b/tools/virsh.pod
index 6553825d7b..6ca316e746 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.pod
+++ b/tools/virsh.pod
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ Edit the XML configuration file for a network.
 
 This is equivalent to:
 
- virsh net-dumpxml network > network.xml
+ virsh net-dumpxml --inactive network > network.xml
  vi network.xml (or make changes with your other text editor)
  virsh net-define network.xml