diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 4a3597ac01..3571dead89 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1159,7 +1159,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     size_t queueSize = 0;
     g_autofree char *nicstr = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virJSONValue) netprops = NULL;
-    g_autofree char *netstr = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
     bool releaseaddr = false;
     bool iface_connected = false;
@@ -1390,9 +1389,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                          slirpfdName)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(netstr = virQEMUBuildNetdevCommandlineFromJSON(netprops)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
     qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor(driver, vm);
 
     if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VHOSTUSER) {
@@ -1404,7 +1400,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachNetDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         charDevPlugged = true;
     }
 
-    if (qemuMonitorAddNetdev(priv->mon, netstr,
+    if (qemuMonitorAddNetdev(priv->mon, &netprops,
                              tapfd, tapfdName, tapfdSize,
                              vhostfd, vhostfdName, vhostfdSize,
                              slirpfd, slirpfdName) < 0) {
@@ -2114,7 +2110,6 @@ int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     virDomainDefPtr vmdef = vm->def;
     g_autofree char *devstr = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virJSONValue) netdevprops = NULL;
-    g_autofree char *netdevstr = NULL;
     virDomainChrSourceDefPtr dev = chr->source;
     g_autofree char *charAlias = NULL;
     bool chardevAttached = false;
@@ -2156,9 +2151,6 @@ int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (guestfwd) {
         if (!(netdevprops = qemuBuildChannelGuestfwdNetdevProps(chr)))
             goto cleanup;
-
-        if (!(netdevstr = virQEMUBuildNetdevCommandlineFromJSON(netdevprops)))
-            goto cleanup;
     } else {
         if (qemuBuildChrDeviceStr(&devstr, vmdef, chr, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
@@ -2181,8 +2173,8 @@ int qemuDomainAttachChrDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         goto exit_monitor;
     chardevAttached = true;
 
-    if (netdevstr) {
-        if (qemuMonitorAddNetdev(priv->mon, netdevstr,
+    if (netdevprops) {
+        if (qemuMonitorAddNetdev(priv->mon, &netdevprops,
                                  NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, -1, NULL) < 0)
             goto exit_monitor;
     }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index 9c853ccb93..2911307f0e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -2667,7 +2667,7 @@ qemuMonitorCloseFileHandle(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
 
 int
 qemuMonitorAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
-                     const char *netdevstr,
+                     virJSONValuePtr *props,
                      int *tapfd, char **tapfdName, int tapfdSize,
                      int *vhostfd, char **vhostfdName, int vhostfdSize,
                      int slirpfd, char *slirpfdName)
@@ -2675,10 +2675,10 @@ qemuMonitorAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
     int ret = -1;
     size_t i = 0, j = 0;
 
-    VIR_DEBUG("netdevstr=%s tapfd=%p tapfdName=%p tapfdSize=%d"
+    VIR_DEBUG("props=%p tapfd=%p tapfdName=%p tapfdSize=%d"
               "vhostfd=%p vhostfdName=%p vhostfdSize=%d"
               "slirpfd=%d slirpfdName=%s",
-              netdevstr, tapfd, tapfdName, tapfdSize,
+              props, tapfd, tapfdName, tapfdSize,
               vhostfd, vhostfdName, vhostfdSize, slirpfd, slirpfdName);
 
     QEMU_CHECK_MONITOR(mon);
@@ -2696,7 +2696,7 @@ qemuMonitorAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
         qemuMonitorSendFileHandle(mon, slirpfdName, slirpfd) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    ret = qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev(mon, netdevstr);
+    ret = qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev(mon, props);
 
  cleanup:
     if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
index 8b6341f3ff..c61c05cb9f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ int qemuMonitorCloseFileHandle(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                const char *fdname);
 
 int qemuMonitorAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
-                         const char *netdevstr,
+                         virJSONValuePtr *props,
                          int *tapfd, char **tapfdName, int tapfdSize,
                          int *vhostfd, char **vhostfdName, int vhostfdSize,
                          int slirpfd, char *slirpfdName);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
index 36c438d018..3070c1e6b3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
@@ -3986,24 +3986,15 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONCloseFileHandle(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
 
 int
 qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
-                         const char *netdevstr)
+                         virJSONValuePtr *props)
 {
     g_autoptr(virJSONValue) cmd = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virJSONValue) reply = NULL;
-    g_autoptr(virJSONValue) args = NULL;
+    virJSONValuePtr pr = g_steal_pointer(props);
 
-    cmd = qemuMonitorJSONMakeCommand("netdev_add", NULL);
-    if (!cmd)
+    if (!(cmd = qemuMonitorJSONMakeCommandInternal("netdev_add", pr)))
         return -1;
 
-    args = qemuMonitorJSONKeywordStringToJSON(netdevstr, "type");
-    if (!args)
-        return -1;
-
-    if (virJSONValueObjectAppend(cmd, "arguments", args) < 0)
-        return -1;
-    args = NULL; /* obj owns reference to args now */
-
     if (qemuMonitorJSONCommand(mon, cmd, &reply) < 0)
         return -1;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
index d3d46ec2f7..83c5e25ca5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONCloseFileHandle(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                    const char *fdname);
 
 int qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
-                             const char *netdevstr);
+                             virJSONValuePtr *props);
 
 int qemuMonitorJSONRemoveNetdev(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                 const char *alias);
diff --git a/tests/qemumonitorjsontest.c b/tests/qemumonitorjsontest.c
index f58b18a110..a50b157dbc 100644
--- a/tests/qemumonitorjsontest.c
+++ b/tests/qemumonitorjsontest.c
@@ -1315,7 +1315,6 @@ GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONDump, "dummy_protocol", "elf",
               true)
 GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONGraphicsRelocate, VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_SPICE,
               "localhost", 12345, 12346, "certsubjectval")
-GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev, "id=net0,type=user")
 GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONRemoveNetdev, "net0")
 GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONDelDevice, "ide0")
 GEN_TEST_FUNC(qemuMonitorJSONAddDevice, "some_dummy_devicestr")
@@ -3226,7 +3225,6 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONMigrate);
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONDump);
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONGraphicsRelocate);
-    DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONAddNetdev);
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONRemoveNetdev);
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONDelDevice);
     DO_TEST_GEN(qemuMonitorJSONAddDevice);