diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 1757a6aaad..e9bc0f375d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1235,6 +1235,31 @@ qemuDomainTPMPrivateFormat(const virDomainTPMDef *tpm,
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuDomainNetworkPrivateParse(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
+                              virDomainNetDef *net)
+{
+    qemuDomainNetworkPrivate *priv = QEMU_DOMAIN_NETWORK_PRIVATE(net);
+
+    priv->created = virXPathBoolean("string(./created[@value='yes'])", ctxt);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+static int
+qemuDomainNetworkPrivateFormat(const virDomainNetDef *net,
+                               virBuffer *buf)
+{
+    qemuDomainNetworkPrivate *priv = QEMU_DOMAIN_NETWORK_PRIVATE(net);
+
+    if (priv->created)
+        virBufferAddLit(buf, "<created value='yes'/>\n");
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 /* qemuDomainSecretInfoSetup:
  * @priv: pointer to domain private object
  * @alias: alias of the secret
@@ -3328,6 +3353,8 @@ virDomainXMLPrivateDataCallbacks virQEMUDriverPrivateDataCallbacks = {
     .vsockNew = qemuDomainVsockPrivateNew,
     .graphicsNew = qemuDomainGraphicsPrivateNew,
     .networkNew = qemuDomainNetworkPrivateNew,
+    .networkParse = qemuDomainNetworkPrivateParse,
+    .networkFormat = qemuDomainNetworkPrivateFormat,
     .videoNew = qemuDomainVideoPrivateNew,
     .tpmNew = qemuDomainTPMPrivateNew,
     .tpmParse = qemuDomainTPMPrivateParse,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index eca5404cdc..1053d1d4cb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -412,6 +412,11 @@ typedef struct _qemuDomainNetworkPrivate qemuDomainNetworkPrivate;
 struct _qemuDomainNetworkPrivate {
     virObject parent;
 
+    /* True if the device was created by us. Otherwise we should
+     * avoid removing it. Currently only used for
+     * VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT. */
+    bool created;
+
     qemuSlirp *slirp;
 
     /* file descriptor transfer helpers */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
index ed2c209167..076640cbde 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ qemuInterfaceDirectConnect(virDomainDef *def,
     char *res_ifname = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virQEMUDriverConfig) cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
     unsigned int macvlan_create_flags = VIR_NETDEV_MACVLAN_CREATE_WITH_TAP;
+    qemuDomainNetworkPrivate *netpriv = QEMU_DOMAIN_NETWORK_PRIVATE(net);
 
     if (qemuInterfaceIsVnetCompatModel(net))
         macvlan_create_flags |= VIR_NETDEV_MACVLAN_VNET_HDR;
@@ -285,6 +286,8 @@ qemuInterfaceDirectConnect(virDomainDef *def,
                                                macvlan_create_flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    netpriv->created = true;
+
     virDomainAuditNetDevice(def, net, res_ifname, true);
     VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
     net->ifname = res_ifname;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 9a31a11acc..ff219e0030 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -8443,11 +8443,13 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         vport = virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net);
         switch (virDomainNetGetActualType(net)) {
         case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT:
-            virNetDevMacVLanDeleteWithVPortProfile(net->ifname, &net->mac,
-                                                   virDomainNetGetActualDirectDev(net),
-                                                   virDomainNetGetActualDirectMode(net),
-                                                   virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net),
-                                                   cfg->stateDir);
+            if (QEMU_DOMAIN_NETWORK_PRIVATE(net)->created) {
+                virNetDevMacVLanDeleteWithVPortProfile(net->ifname, &net->mac,
+                                                       virDomainNetGetActualDirectDev(net),
+                                                       virDomainNetGetActualDirectMode(net),
+                                                       virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net),
+                                                       cfg->stateDir);
+            }
             break;
         case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_ETHERNET:
             if (net->managed_tap != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO && net->ifname) {