diff --git a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index a810f569c6..8cbbd7e6e9 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -3187,6 +3187,11 @@
               </choice>
             </attribute>
           </optional>
+          <optional>
+            <attribute name="check">
+              <ref name="virYesNo"/>
+            </attribute>
+          </optional>
           <empty/>
         </element>
       </optional>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 8d328819af..386b04b5b8 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -11925,6 +11925,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
     int rv, val;
     g_autofree char *macaddr = NULL;
     g_autofree char *macaddr_type = NULL;
+    g_autofree char *macaddr_check = NULL;
     g_autofree char *type = NULL;
     g_autofree char *network = NULL;
     g_autofree char *portgroup = NULL;
@@ -12006,6 +12007,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
             if (!macaddr && virXMLNodeNameEqual(cur, "mac")) {
                 macaddr = virXMLPropString(cur, "address");
                 macaddr_type = virXMLPropString(cur, "type");
+                macaddr_check = virXMLPropString(cur, "check");
             } else if (!network &&
                        def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK &&
                        virXMLNodeNameEqual(cur, "source")) {
@@ -12206,6 +12208,16 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
         }
         def->mac_type = tmp;
     }
+    if (macaddr_check) {
+        int tmpCheck;
+        if ((tmpCheck = virTristateBoolTypeFromString(macaddr_check)) < 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                           _("invalid mac address check value: '%s'"),
+                           macaddr_check);
+            goto error;
+        }
+        def->mac_check = tmpCheck;
+    }
 
     if (virDomainDeviceInfoParseXML(xmlopt, node, &def->info,
                                     flags | VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_BOOT
@@ -26555,6 +26567,8 @@ virDomainNetDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                       virMacAddrFormat(&def->mac, macstr));
     if (def->mac_type)
         virBufferAsprintf(buf, " type='%s'", virDomainNetMacTypeTypeToString(def->mac_type));
+    if (def->mac_check != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT)
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " check='%s'", virTristateBoolTypeToString(def->mac_check));
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
 
     if (publicActual) {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 241149af24..6e9da298b4 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -982,6 +982,7 @@ struct _virDomainNetDef {
     virMacAddr mac;
     bool mac_generated; /* true if mac was *just now* auto-generated by libvirt */
     virDomainNetMacType mac_type;
+    virTristateBool mac_check;
     int model; /* virDomainNetModelType */
     char *modelstr;
     union {
diff --git a/src/vmx/vmx.c b/src/vmx/vmx.c
index 72f6a7d8dd..a123a8807c 100644
--- a/src/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/src/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -2638,6 +2638,14 @@ virVMXParseEthernet(virConfPtr conf, int controller, virDomainNetDefPtr *def)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    if (checkMACAddress) {
+        if (STREQ(checkMACAddress, "true")) {
+            (*def)->mac_check = VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES;
+        } else {
+            (*def)->mac_check = VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO;
+        }
+    }
+
     /* vmx:virtualDev, vmx:features -> def:model */
     if (virVMXGetConfigString(conf, virtualDev_name, &virtualDev, true) < 0 ||
         virVMXGetConfigLong(conf, features_name, &features, 0, true) < 0) {
@@ -3865,6 +3873,9 @@ virVMXFormatEthernet(virDomainNetDefPtr def, int controller,
             mac_check = VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT;
     }
 
+    if (def->mac_check != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT)
+        mac_check = def->mac_check;
+
     if (mac_type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_GENERATED) {
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.addressType = \"%s\"\n",
                           controller, mac_vpx ? "vpx" : "generated");
diff --git a/tests/genericxml2xmlindata/network-interface-mac-check.xml b/tests/genericxml2xmlindata/network-interface-mac-check.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a84452fbaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/genericxml2xmlindata/network-interface-mac-check.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219136</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219136</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
+      <source bridge='br0'/>
+    </interface>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fe' type='static' check='yes'/>
+      <source bridge='br1'/>
+    </interface>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd' type='generated' check='no'/>
+      <source bridge='br2'/>
+    </interface>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/genericxml2xmltest.c b/tests/genericxml2xmltest.c
index 8b9b0bafb6..102abfdec2 100644
--- a/tests/genericxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/genericxml2xmltest.c
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("cpu-cache-passthrough");
     DO_TEST("cpu-cache-disable");
 
+    DO_TEST("network-interface-mac-check");
+
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("chardev-tcp");
     DO_TEST_FULL("chardev-tcp-missing-host", 0, false,
                  TEST_COMPARE_DOM_XML2XML_RESULT_FAIL_PARSE);
diff --git a/tests/vmx2xmldata/vmx2xml-ethernet-other.xml b/tests/vmx2xmldata/vmx2xml-ethernet-other.xml
index b90dfe5d9b..ef324405d7 100644
--- a/tests/vmx2xmldata/vmx2xml-ethernet-other.xml
+++ b/tests/vmx2xmldata/vmx2xml-ethernet-other.xml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
   <devices>
     <interface type='bridge'>
-      <mac address='00:12:34:56:78:90' type='static'/>
+      <mac address='00:12:34:56:78:90' type='static' check='no'/>
       <source bridge='VM Network'/>
     </interface>
     <video>
diff --git a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx
index 061aed3010..8d7a067188 100644
--- a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx
+++ b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ ethernet1.networkName = "br1"
 ethernet1.connectionType = "bridged"
 ethernet1.addressType = "static"
 ethernet1.address = "00:0c:29:dd:ee:fe"
+ethernet1.checkMACAddress = "true"
 ethernet2.present = "true"
 ethernet2.networkName = "br2"
 ethernet2.connectionType = "bridged"
 ethernet2.addressType = "generated"
 ethernet2.generatedAddress = "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd"
 ethernet2.generatedAddressOffset = "0"
+ethernet2.checkMACAddress = "false"
diff --git a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml
index ee85a1a56a..850fc4d80a 100644
--- a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml
+++ b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@
       <source bridge='br0'/>
     </interface>
     <interface type='bridge'>
-      <mac address='00:0c:29:dd:ee:fe' type='static'/>
+      <mac address='00:0c:29:dd:ee:fe' type='static' check='yes'/>
       <source bridge='br1'/>
     </interface>
     <interface type='bridge'>
-      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd' type='generated'/>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd' type='generated' check='no'/>
       <source bridge='br2'/>
     </interface>
   </devices>