diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
index d3d790f6b6..219e2b8d9e 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
@@ -57,16 +57,10 @@ bhyveBuildNetArgStr(virConnectPtr conn,
     int ret = -1;
     virDomainNetType actualType = virDomainNetGetActualType(net);
 
-    if (!virDomainNetGetModelString(net)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                       _("NIC model must be specified"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (virDomainNetStreqModelString(net, "virtio")) {
+    if (net->model == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MODEL_VIRTIO) {
         if (VIR_STRDUP(nic_model, "virtio-net") < 0)
             return -1;
-    } else if (virDomainNetStreqModelString(net, "e1000")) {
+    } else if (net->model == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MODEL_E1000) {
         if ((bhyveDriverGetCaps(conn) & BHYVE_CAP_NET_E1000) != 0) {
             if (VIR_STRDUP(nic_model, "e1000") < 0)
                 return -1;
@@ -77,9 +71,8 @@ bhyveBuildNetArgStr(virConnectPtr conn,
             return -1;
         }
     } else {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                       _("NIC model '%s' is not supported"),
-                       virDomainNetGetModelString(net));
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("NIC model is not supported"));
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_parse_command.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_parse_command.c
index 60eb4c5412..490381688c 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_parse_command.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_parse_command.c
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ bhyveParsePCINet(virDomainDefPtr def,
                  unsigned pcislot,
                  unsigned pcibus,
                  unsigned function,
-                 const char *model,
+                 int model,
                  const char *config)
 {
     /* -s slot,virtio-net,tapN[,mac=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx] */
@@ -511,9 +511,7 @@ bhyveParsePCINet(virDomainDefPtr def,
     if (VIR_STRDUP(net->data.bridge.brname, "virbr0") < 0)
         goto error;
 
-    if (virDomainNetSetModelString(net, model) < 0)
-        goto error;
-
+    net->model = model;
     net->info.type = VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_PCI;
     net->info.addr.pci.slot = pcislot;
     net->info.addr.pci.bus = pcibus;
@@ -621,10 +619,10 @@ bhyveParseBhyvePCIArg(virDomainDefPtr def,
                           conf);
     else if (STREQ(emulation, "virtio-net"))
         bhyveParsePCINet(def, xmlopt, caps, pcislot, bus, function,
-                         "virtio", conf);
+                         VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MODEL_VIRTIO, conf);
     else if (STREQ(emulation, "e1000"))
         bhyveParsePCINet(def, xmlopt, caps, pcislot, bus, function,
-                         "e1000", conf);
+                         VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MODEL_E1000, conf);
 
     VIR_FREE(emulation);
     VIR_FREE(slotdef);