diff --git a/src/util/interface.c b/src/util/interface.c
index 4e1ee25930..e86d1836de 100644
--- a/src/util/interface.c
+++ b/src/util/interface.c
@@ -141,69 +141,6 @@ ifaceCheck(bool reportError ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 
 
-/**
- * virNetDevGetIPv4Address:
- * @ifname: name of the interface whose IP address we want
- * @addr: filled with the IPv4 address
- *
- * This function gets the IPv4 address for the interface @ifname
- * and stores it in @addr
- *
- * Returns 0 on success, -errno on failure.
- */
-#ifdef __linux__
-int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname,
-                            virSocketAddrPtr addr)
-{
-    struct ifreq ifr;
-    int fd;
-    int rc = 0;
-
-    memset (addr, 0, sizeof(*addr));
-    addr->data.stor.ss_family = AF_UNSPEC;
-
-    fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
-                             _("Unable to open control socket"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof(struct ifreq));
-    if (virStrcpyStatic(ifr.ifr_name, ifname) == NULL) {
-        virReportSystemError(ERANGE,
-                             _("invalid interface name %s"),
-                             ifname);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFADDR, (char *)&ifr) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             _("Unable to get IPv4 address for interface %s"), ifname);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    addr->data.stor.ss_family = AF_INET;
-    addr->len = sizeof(addr->data.inet4);
-    memcpy(&addr->data.inet4, &ifr.ifr_addr, addr->len);
-
-cleanup:
-    VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
-    return rc;
-}
-
-#else
-
-int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                            virSocketAddrPtr addr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
-{
-    virReportSystemError(ENOSYS, "%s",
-                         _("Unable to get IPv4 address on this platform"));
-    return -1;
-}
-
-#endif /* __linux__ */
-
 
 #if defined(__linux__) && defined(IFLA_PORT_MAX)
 
diff --git a/src/util/interface.h b/src/util/interface.h
index 0a11ecdbc9..afe417dbc5 100644
--- a/src/util/interface.h
+++ b/src/util/interface.h
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ struct nlattr;
 int ifaceCheck(bool reportError, const char *ifname,
                const unsigned char *macaddr, int ifindex);
 
-int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname, virSocketAddrPtr addr)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
-
 int ifaceMacvtapLinkDump(bool nltarget_kernel, const char *ifname, int ifindex,
                          struct nlattr **tb, unsigned char **recvbuf,
                          uint32_t (*getPidFunc)(void));
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index c2a0f57fe9..8a26d4a883 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -803,3 +803,56 @@ cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
     return ret;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * virNetDevGetIPv4Address:
+ * @ifname: name of the interface whose IP address we want
+ * @addr: filled with the IPv4 address
+ *
+ * This function gets the IPv4 address for the interface @ifname
+ * and stores it in @addr
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -errno on failure.
+ */
+#ifdef __linux__
+int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname,
+                            virSocketAddrPtr addr)
+{
+    int fd = -1;
+    int ret = -1;
+    struct ifreq ifr;
+
+    memset(addr, 0, sizeof(*addr));
+    addr->data.stor.ss_family = AF_UNSPEC;
+
+    if ((fd = virNetDevSetupControl(ifname, &ifr)) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFADDR, (char *)&ifr) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("Unable to get IPv4 address for interface %s"), ifname);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    addr->data.stor.ss_family = AF_INET;
+    addr->len = sizeof(addr->data.inet4);
+    memcpy(&addr->data.inet4, &ifr.ifr_addr, addr->len);
+    ret = 0;
+
+cleanup:
+    VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+#else
+
+int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                            virSocketAddrPtr addr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    virReportSystemError(ENOSYS, "%s",
+                         _("Unable to get IPv4 address on this platform"));
+    return -1;
+}
+
+#endif /* __linux__ */
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.h b/src/util/virnetdev.h
index 8c1d7c6f0a..08bbcbf50d 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.h
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ int virNetDevClearIPv4Address(const char *ifname,
                               virSocketAddr *addr,
                               unsigned int prefix)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
+int virNetDevGetIPv4Address(const char *ifname, virSocketAddrPtr addr)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 
 int virNetDevSetMAC(const char *ifname,