diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index c673cc1515..0d999914e3 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -4736,6 +4736,78 @@ networkGetNetworkAddress(const char *netname, char **netaddr)
     return ret;
 }
 
+/* networkGetActualType:
+ * @dom: domain definition that @iface belongs to
+ * @iface: the original NetDef from the domain
+ *
+ * Looks up the network reference by iface, and returns the actual
+ * type of the connection without allocating any resources.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on failure.
+ */
+int
+networkGetActualType(virDomainNetDefPtr iface)
+{
+    virNetworkDriverStatePtr driver = networkGetDriver();
+    virNetworkObjPtr network = NULL;
+    virNetworkDefPtr netdef = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if (!driver || iface->type != VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK)
+        return iface->type;
+
+    if (iface->data.network.actual)
+        return iface->data.network.actual->type;
+
+    network = virNetworkObjFindByName(driver->networks, iface->data.network.name);
+    if (!network) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_NETWORK,
+                       _("no network with matching name '%s'"),
+                       iface->data.network.name);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    netdef = network->def;
+
+    if ((netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_NONE) ||
+        (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_NAT) ||
+        (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_ROUTE)) {
+        /* for these forward types, the actual net type really *is*
+         * NETWORK; we just keep the info from the portgroup in
+         * iface->data.network.actual
+         */
+        ret = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK;
+
+    } else if ((netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_BRIDGE) &&
+               netdef->bridge) {
+
+        /* <forward type='bridge'/> <bridge name='xxx'/>
+         * is VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_BRIDGE
+         */
+
+        ret = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_BRIDGE;
+
+    } else if (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_HOSTDEV) {
+
+        ret = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV;
+
+    } else if ((netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_BRIDGE) ||
+               (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_PRIVATE) ||
+               (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_VEPA) ||
+               (netdef->forward.type == VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_PASSTHROUGH)) {
+
+        /* <forward type='bridge|private|vepa|passthrough'> are all
+         * VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT.
+         */
+
+        ret = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT;
+
+    }
+
+    virNetworkObjEndAPI(&network);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * networkCheckBandwidth:
  * @net: network QoS
diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.h b/src/network/bridge_driver.h
index 7db2c90110..f0cac5d528 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.h
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * bridge_driver.h: core driver methods for managing networks
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2006-2015 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2006-2016 Red Hat, Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2006 Daniel P. Berrange
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ int networkReleaseActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
 int networkGetNetworkAddress(const char *netname, char **netaddr)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
 
+int networkGetActualType(virDomainNetDefPtr iface)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
+
 int networkDnsmasqConfContents(virNetworkObjPtr network,
                         const char *pidfile,
                         char **configstr,
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ int networkBandwidthUpdate(virDomainNetDefPtr iface,
 # else
 /* Define no-op replacements that don't drag in any link dependencies.  */
 #  define networkAllocateActualDevice(dom, iface) 0
+#  define networkGetActualType(iface) (iface->type)
 #  define networkGetNetworkAddress(netname, netaddr) (-2)
 #  define networkDnsmasqConfContents(network, pidfile, configstr, \
                     dctx, caps) 0