diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 651f2ad279..84ffd93b7f 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -19854,6 +19854,20 @@ virDomainFsDefCheckABIStability(virDomainFSDef *src,
 }
 
 
+bool
+virDomainNetBackendIsEqual(virDomainNetBackend *src,
+                           virDomainNetBackend *dst)
+{
+    if (src->type != dst->type ||
+        STRNEQ_NULLABLE(src->tap, dst->tap) ||
+        STRNEQ_NULLABLE(src->vhost, dst->vhost) ||
+        STRNEQ_NULLABLE(src->logFile, dst->logFile)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 static bool
 virDomainNetDefCheckABIStability(virDomainNetDef *src,
                                  virDomainNetDef *dst)
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 31839c96e5..2a8ad17f44 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3863,6 +3863,8 @@ virDomainNetDef *virDomainNetFindByName(virDomainDef *def, const char *ifname);
 bool virDomainHasNet(virDomainDef *def, virDomainNetDef *net);
 int virDomainNetInsert(virDomainDef *def, virDomainNetDef *net);
 int virDomainNetUpdate(virDomainDef *def, size_t netidx, virDomainNetDef *newnet);
+bool virDomainNetBackendIsEqual(virDomainNetBackend *src,
+                                virDomainNetBackend *dst);
 int virDomainNetDHCPInterfaces(virDomainDef *def, virDomainInterfacePtr **ifaces);
 int virDomainNetARPInterfaces(virDomainDef *def, virDomainInterfacePtr **ifaces);
 virDomainNetDef *virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDef *def, size_t i);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 97c3d86217..c6c47dbfac 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -528,6 +528,7 @@ virDomainMouseModeTypeToString;
 virDomainNetAllocateActualDevice;
 virDomainNetAppendIPAddress;
 virDomainNetARPInterfaces;
+virDomainNetBackendIsEqual;
 virDomainNetBandwidthUpdate;
 virDomainNetDefActualFromNetworkPort;
 virDomainNetDefActualToNetworkPort;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index c490e2b97a..b4cddef9f5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -3675,6 +3675,15 @@ qemuDomainChangeNet(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    /* nothing in <backend> can be modified in an existing interface -
+     * the entire device will need to be removed and re-added.
+     */
+    if (!virDomainNetBackendIsEqual(&olddev->backend, &newdev->backend)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("cannot modify network device backend settings"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     /* allocate new actual device to compare to old - we will need to
      * free it if we fail for any reason
      */