diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 778958700b..e84374b4cf 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -8533,7 +8533,7 @@ qemuBuildInterfaceConnect(virDomainObj *vm,
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VDPA:
-        if ((vdpafd = qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect(net)) < 0)
+        if ((vdpafd = qemuVDPAConnect(net->data.vdpa.devicepath)) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         netpriv->vdpafd = qemuFDPassNew(net->info.alias, priv);
@@ -10993,3 +10993,24 @@ qemuBuildStorageSourceChainAttachPrepareBlockdevTop(virStorageSource *top,
 
     return g_steal_pointer(&data);
 }
+
+
+/* qemuVDPAConnect:
+ * @devicepath: the path to the vdpa device
+ *
+ * returns: file descriptor of the vdpa device
+ */
+int
+qemuVDPAConnect(const char *devicepath)
+{
+    int fd;
+
+    if ((fd = open(devicepath, O_RDWR)) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("Unable to open '%1$s' for vdpa device"),
+                             devicepath);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return fd;
+}
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
index 55efa45601..341ec43f9a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
@@ -248,3 +248,4 @@ qemuBuildTPMOpenBackendFDs(const char *tpmdev,
 
 const char * qemuAudioDriverTypeToString(virDomainAudioType type);
 virDomainAudioType qemuAudioDriverTypeFromString(const char *str);
+int qemuVDPAConnect(const char *devicepath) G_NO_INLINE;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
index e875de48ee..8856bb95a8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
@@ -648,29 +648,6 @@ qemuInterfaceBridgeConnect(virDomainDef *def,
 }
 
 
-/* qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect:
- * @net: pointer to the VM's interface description
- *
- * returns: file descriptor of the vdpa device
- *
- * Called *only* called if actualType is VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VDPA
- */
-int
-qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect(virDomainNetDef *net)
-{
-    int fd;
-
-    if ((fd = open(net->data.vdpa.devicepath, O_RDWR)) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             _("Unable to open '%1$s' for vdpa device"),
-                             net->data.vdpa.devicepath);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return fd;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Returns: -1 on error, 0 on success. Populates net->privateData->slirp if
  * the slirp helper is needed.
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.h b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.h
index d866beb184..6eed3e6bd7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.h
@@ -55,5 +55,3 @@ int qemuInterfaceOpenVhostNet(virDomainObj *def,
 
 int qemuInterfacePrepareSlirp(virQEMUDriver *driver,
                               virDomainNetDef *net);
-
-int qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect(virDomainNetDef *net) G_NO_INLINE;
diff --git a/tests/qemuhotplugmock.c b/tests/qemuhotplugmock.c
index 89d287945a..dd7e2c67e0 100644
--- a/tests/qemuhotplugmock.c
+++ b/tests/qemuhotplugmock.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#include "qemu/qemu_command.h"
 #include "qemu/qemu_hotplug.h"
-#include "qemu/qemu_interface.h"
 #include "qemu/qemu_process.h"
 #include "testutilsqemu.h"
 #include "conf/domain_conf.h"
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ qemuProcessKillManagedPRDaemon(virDomainObj *vm G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 }
 
 int
-qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect(virDomainNetDef *net G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+qemuVDPAConnect(const char *devicepath G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     /* need a valid fd or sendmsg won't work. Just open /dev/null */
     return open("/dev/null", O_RDONLY);
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
index 400dd5c020..52c44b2ed0 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ virNetDevBandwidthSetRootQDisc(const char *ifname G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 
 
 int
-qemuInterfaceVDPAConnect(virDomainNetDef *net G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+qemuVDPAConnect(const char *devicepath G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     if (fcntl(1732, F_GETFD) != -1)
         abort();