diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 9b1387d62b..f8fbf79de5 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -9965,26 +9965,36 @@ virDomainNetFindIdx(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
     return matchidx;
 }
 
-virDomainNetDefPtr
-virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDefPtr def, size_t i)
-{
-    virDomainNetDefPtr net = def->nets[i];
 
+void
+virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                          virDomainNetDefPtr net)
+{
     if (net->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) {
         /* hostdev net devices are normally also be in the hostdevs
          * array, but might have already been removed by the time we
          * get here.
          */
         virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev = &net->data.hostdev.def;
-        size_t h;
+        size_t i;
 
-        for (h = 0; h < def->nhostdevs; h++) {
-            if (def->hostdevs[h] == hostdev) {
-                virDomainHostdevRemove(def, h);
+        for (i = 0; i < def->nhostdevs; i++) {
+            if (def->hostdevs[i] == hostdev) {
+                virDomainHostdevRemove(def, i);
                 break;
             }
         }
     }
+}
+
+
+virDomainNetDefPtr
+virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDefPtr def, size_t i)
+{
+    virDomainNetDefPtr net = def->nets[i];
+
+    virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(def, net);
+
     if (def->nnets > 1) {
         memmove(def->nets + i,
                 def->nets + i + 1,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 0ac576a82e..56739b7bf4 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2371,6 +2371,7 @@ int virDomainNetFindIdx(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net);
 virDomainNetDefPtr virDomainNetFind(virDomainDefPtr def, const char *device);
 int virDomainNetInsert(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net);
 virDomainNetDefPtr virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDefPtr def, size_t i);
+void virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainNetDefPtr net);
 
 int virDomainHostdevInsert(virDomainDefPtr def, virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev);
 virDomainHostdevDefPtr
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index d4006ae82a..35f0f1bb83 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile;
 virDomainNetGetActualVlan;
 virDomainNetInsert;
 virDomainNetRemove;
+virDomainNetRemoveHostdev;
 virDomainNetTypeToString;
 virDomainNostateReasonTypeFromString;
 virDomainNostateReasonTypeToString;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 5943816c05..a7256f357d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1066,6 +1066,8 @@ cleanup:
                                virDomainNetGetActualBridgeName(net), net->ifname));
         }
 
+        virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(vm->def, net);
+
         networkReleaseActualDevice(net);
     }
 
@@ -2107,6 +2109,9 @@ qemuDomainChangeNet(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         /* the changes above warrant replacing olddev with newdev in
          * the domain's nets list.
          */
+
+        /* this function doesn't work with HOSTDEV networks yet, thus
+         * no need to change the pointer in the hostdev structure */
         networkReleaseActualDevice(olddev);
         virDomainNetDefFree(olddev);
         /* move newdev into the nets list, and NULL it out from the
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 128618bf53..dfe81428e7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -4259,6 +4259,8 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                        virDomainNetGetActualBridgeName(net),
                                        net->ifname));
 
+        /* kick the device out of the hostdev list too */
+        virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(def, net);
         networkReleaseActualDevice(net);
     }