diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 7adb07aac0..0ee2014beb 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2529,6 +2529,8 @@ virNetDevMacVLanModeTypeFromString;
 virNetDevMacVLanReleaseName;
 virNetDevMacVLanReserveName;
 virNetDevMacVLanRestartWithVPortProfile;
+virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen;
+virNetDevMacVLanTapSetup;
 virNetDevMacVLanVPortProfileRegisterCallback;
 
 
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.c b/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.c
index 79aa7ed5ac..9a9750f24a 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.c
@@ -374,19 +374,17 @@ int virNetDevMacVLanDelete(const char *ifname)
  * @ifname: Name of the macvtap interface
  * @tapfd: array of file descriptor return value for the new macvtap device
  * @tapfdSize: number of file descriptors in @tapfd
- * @retries : Number of retries in case udev for example may need to be
- *            waited for to create the tap chardev
  *
  * Open the macvtap's tap device, possibly multiple times if @tapfdSize > 1.
  *
  * Returns 0 on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-static int
+int
 virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen(const char *ifname,
                         int *tapfd,
-                        size_t tapfdSize,
-                        int retries)
+                        size_t tapfdSize)
 {
+    int retries = 10;
     int ret = -1;
     int ifindex;
     size_t i = 0;
@@ -446,7 +444,7 @@ virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen(const char *ifname,
  *
  * Returns 0 on success, -1 in case of fatal error.
  */
-static int
+int
 virNetDevMacVLanTapSetup(int *tapfd, size_t tapfdSize, bool vnet_hdr)
 {
     unsigned int features;
@@ -1040,7 +1038,7 @@ virNetDevMacVLanCreateWithVPortProfile(const char *ifnameRequested,
     }
 
     if (flags & VIR_NETDEV_MACVLAN_CREATE_WITH_TAP) {
-        if (virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen(ifnameCreated, tapfd, tapfdSize, 10) < 0)
+        if (virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen(ifnameCreated, tapfd, tapfdSize) < 0)
             goto disassociate_exit;
 
         if (virNetDevMacVLanTapSetup(tapfd, tapfdSize, vnet_hdr) < 0)
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.h b/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.h
index 8ac7643e49..24b17b4bd0 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevmacvlan.h
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ int virNetDevMacVLanCreateWithVPortProfile(const char *ifname,
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(6)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(8) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(10) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
+int virNetDevMacVLanTapOpen(const char *ifname,
+                            int *tapfd,
+                            size_t tapfdSize)
+   ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2)
+   ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
+
+int virNetDevMacVLanTapSetup(int *tapfd, size_t tapfdSize, bool vnet_hdr)
+   ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
+
 int virNetDevMacVLanDeleteWithVPortProfile(const char *ifname,
                                            const virMacAddr *macaddress,
                                            const char *linkdev,