diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 6e71885488..534c9e74e2 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -10236,14 +10236,14 @@ int virDomainNetInsert(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
  *                      PCI address (if specified)
  *
  * Return: index of match if unique match found
- *         -1 if not found
- *         -2 if multiple matches
+ *         -1 otherwise and an error is logged
  */
 int
 virDomainNetFindIdx(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
 {
     size_t i;
     int matchidx = -1;
+    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
     bool PCIAddrSpecified = virDomainDeviceAddressIsValid(&net->info,
                                                           VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_PCI);
 
@@ -10258,8 +10258,10 @@ virDomainNetFindIdx(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
              * specify only vendor and product ID, and there may be
              * multiples of those.
              */
-            matchidx = -2; /* indicates "multiple matches" to caller */
-            break;
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
+                           _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
+                           virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac));
+            return -1;
         }
         if (PCIAddrSpecified) {
             if (virDevicePCIAddressEqual(&def->nets[i]->info.addr.pci,
@@ -10275,6 +10277,11 @@ virDomainNetFindIdx(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
             matchidx = i;
         }
     }
+    if (matchidx < 0) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
+                       _("no device matching mac address %s found"),
+                       virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac));
+    }
     return matchidx;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 05464cbf20..b900bc6e09 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -3768,22 +3768,12 @@ lxcDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
     int ret = -1;
     virDomainNetDefPtr net;
     int idx;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
     switch (dev->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NET:
         net = dev->data.net;
-        idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net);
-        if (idx == -2) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                           _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
-                           virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac));
+        if ((idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net)) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
-        } else if (idx < 0) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED, "%s",
-                           _("no matching network device was found"));
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
 
         virDomainNetDefFree(vmdef->nets[idx]);
 
@@ -3813,7 +3803,6 @@ lxcDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
     virDomainNetDefPtr net;
     virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev, det_hostdev;
     int idx;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
     switch (dev->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_DISK:
@@ -3829,17 +3818,9 @@ lxcDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NET:
         net = dev->data.net;
-        idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net);
-        if (idx == -2) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                           _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
-                           virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac));
+        if ((idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net)) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
-        } else if (idx < 0) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED, "%s",
-                           _("no matching network device was found"));
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
+
         /* this is guaranteed to succeed */
         virDomainNetDefFree(virDomainNetRemove(vmdef, idx));
         ret = 0;
@@ -4650,21 +4631,11 @@ lxcDomainDetachDeviceNetLive(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 {
     int detachidx, ret = -1;
     virDomainNetDefPtr detach = NULL;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
     virNetDevVPortProfilePtr vport = NULL;
 
-    detachidx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vm->def, dev->data.net);
-    if (detachidx == -2) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                       _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
-                       virMacAddrFormat(&dev->data.net->mac, mac));
+    if ((detachidx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vm->def, dev->data.net)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
-    } else if (detachidx < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                       _("network device %s not found"),
-                       virMacAddrFormat(&dev->data.net->mac, mac));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
+
     detach = vm->def->nets[detachidx];
 
     switch (virDomainNetGetActualType(detach)) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 9a2de120ad..1d08951ce5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -6763,7 +6763,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
     virDomainChrDefPtr chr;
     virDomainFSDefPtr fs;
     int idx;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
     switch (dev->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_DISK:
@@ -6778,17 +6777,9 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NET:
         net = dev->data.net;
-        idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net);
-        if (idx == -2) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                           _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
-                           virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac));
+        if ((idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net)) < 0)
             return -1;
-        } else if (idx < 0) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED, "%s",
-                           _("no matching network device was found"));
-            return -1;
-        }
+
         /* this is guaranteed to succeed */
         virDomainNetDefFree(virDomainNetRemove(vmdef, idx));
         break;
@@ -6868,7 +6859,6 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
     virDomainDiskDefPtr orig, disk;
     virDomainNetDefPtr net;
     int pos;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
 
     switch (dev->type) {
@@ -6907,20 +6897,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NET:
         net = dev->data.net;
-        pos = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net);
-        if (pos == -2) {
-            virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac);
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                           _("couldn't find matching device "
-                             "with mac address %s"), mac);
+        if ((pos = virDomainNetFindIdx(vmdef, net)) < 0)
             return -1;
-        } else if (pos < 0) {
-            virMacAddrFormat(&net->mac, mac);
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                           _("couldn't find matching device "
-                             "with mac address %s"), mac);
-            return -1;
-        }
 
         virDomainNetDefFree(vmdef->nets[pos]);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index e81bc7a301..bf92aec542 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -3362,21 +3362,10 @@ qemuDomainDetachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
     int vlan;
     char *hostnet_name = NULL;
-    char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    detachidx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vm->def, dev->data.net);
-    if (detachidx == -2) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                       _("multiple devices matching mac address %s found"),
-                       virMacAddrFormat(&dev->data.net->mac, mac));
+    if ((detachidx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vm->def, dev->data.net)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
-    }
-    else if (detachidx < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
-                       _("network device %s not found"),
-                       virMacAddrFormat(&dev->data.net->mac, mac));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
+
     detach = vm->def->nets[detachidx];
 
     if (virDomainNetGetActualType(detach) == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) {