diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 413c44ac61..6d90041bf8 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -15740,6 +15740,24 @@ virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDef *def, size_t i)
 }
 
 
+virDomainNetDef *
+virDomainNetRemoveByObj(virDomainDef *def, virDomainNetDef *net)
+{
+    size_t i;
+
+    /* the device might have been added to hostdevs but not nets */
+    virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(def, net);
+
+    for (i = 0; i < def->nnets; i++) {
+        if (def->nets[i] == net) {
+            VIR_DELETE_ELEMENT(def->nets, i, def->nnets);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    return net;
+}
+
+
 int
 virDomainNetUpdate(virDomainDef *def,
                    size_t netidx,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index bf1249571d..99f18c13bc 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3580,6 +3580,7 @@ int virDomainNetUpdate(virDomainDef *def, size_t netidx, virDomainNetDef *newnet
 int virDomainNetDHCPInterfaces(virDomainDef *def, virDomainInterfacePtr **ifaces);
 int virDomainNetARPInterfaces(virDomainDef *def, virDomainInterfacePtr **ifaces);
 virDomainNetDef *virDomainNetRemove(virDomainDef *def, size_t i);
+virDomainNetDef *virDomainNetRemoveByObj(virDomainDef *def, virDomainNetDef *net);
 void virDomainNetRemoveHostdev(virDomainDef *def, virDomainNetDef *net);
 
 int virDomainHostdevInsert(virDomainDef *def, virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 37515f80ec..333cca0b41 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ virDomainNetModelTypeToString;
 virDomainNetNotifyActualDevice;
 virDomainNetReleaseActualDevice;
 virDomainNetRemove;
+virDomainNetRemoveByObj;
 virDomainNetRemoveHostdev;
 virDomainNetResolveActualType;
 virDomainNetSetModelString;