diff --git a/src/xen/xend_internal.c b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
index 66d2e7f17d..8822f44c81 100644
--- a/src/xen/xend_internal.c
+++ b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
@@ -1770,11 +1770,12 @@ xenDaemonParseSxprNets(virConnectPtr conn,
     for (cur = root; cur->kind == SEXPR_CONS; cur = cur->u.s.cdr) {
         node = cur->u.s.car;
         if (sexpr_lookup(node, "device/vif")) {
-            const char *tmp2, *model;
+            const char *tmp2, *model, *type;
             char buf[50];
             tmp2 = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/script");
             tmp = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/bridge");
             model = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/model");
+            type = sexpr_node(node, "device/vif/type");
 
             if (VIR_ALLOC(net) < 0)
                 goto no_memory;
@@ -1841,6 +1842,11 @@ xenDaemonParseSxprNets(virConnectPtr conn,
                 !(net->model = strdup(model)))
                 goto no_memory;
 
+            if (!model && type &&
+                STREQ(type, "netfront") &&
+                !(net->model = strdup("netfront")))
+                goto no_memory;
+
             if (VIR_REALLOC_N(def->nets, def->nnets + 1) < 0)
                 goto no_memory;
 
@@ -5500,15 +5506,25 @@ xenDaemonFormatSxprNet(virConnectPtr conn,
         !STRPREFIX(def->ifname, "vif"))
         virBufferVSprintf(buf, "(vifname '%s')", def->ifname);
 
-    if (def->model != NULL)
+    if (!hvm) {
+        if (def->model != NULL)
+            virBufferVSprintf(buf, "(model '%s')", def->model);
+    }
+    else if (def->model == NULL) {
+        /*
+         * apparently (type ioemu) breaks paravirt drivers on HVM so skip
+         * this from XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU
+         */
+        if (xendConfigVersion <= XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU)
+            virBufferAddLit(buf, "(type ioemu)");
+    }
+    else if (STREQ(def->model, "netfront")) {
+        virBufferAddLit(buf, "(type netfront)");
+    }
+    else {
         virBufferVSprintf(buf, "(model '%s')", def->model);
-
-    /*
-     * apparently (type ioemu) breaks paravirt drivers on HVM so skip this
-     * from Xen 3.1.0
-     */
-    if (hvm && xendConfigVersion <= XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU)
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "(type ioemu)");
+    }
 
     if (!isAttach)
         virBufferAddLit(buf, ")");
diff --git a/src/xen/xm_internal.c b/src/xen/xm_internal.c
index 40c199682e..6c60839e51 100644
--- a/src/xen/xm_internal.c
+++ b/src/xen/xm_internal.c
@@ -1020,6 +1020,7 @@ xenXMDomainConfigParse(virConnectPtr conn, virConfPtr conf) {
         while (list) {
             char script[PATH_MAX];
             char model[10];
+            char type[10];
             char ip[16];
             char mac[18];
             char bridge[50];
@@ -1031,6 +1032,7 @@ xenXMDomainConfigParse(virConnectPtr conn, virConfPtr conf) {
             script[0] = '\0';
             ip[0] = '\0';
             model[0] = '\0';
+            type[0] = '\0';
             vifname[0] = '\0';
 
             if ((list->type != VIR_CONF_STRING) || (list->str == NULL))
@@ -1076,6 +1078,13 @@ xenXMDomainConfigParse(virConnectPtr conn, virConfPtr conf) {
                                    _("Model %s too big for destination"), data);
                         goto skipnic;
                     }
+                } else if (STRPREFIX(key, "type=")) {
+                    int len = nextkey ? (nextkey - data) : sizeof(type) - 1;
+                    if (virStrncpy(type, data, len, sizeof(type)) == NULL) {
+                        xenXMError(conn, VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                                   _("Type %s too big for destination"), data);
+                        goto skipnic;
+                    }
                 } else if (STRPREFIX(key, "vifname=")) {
                     int len = nextkey ? (nextkey - data) : sizeof(vifname) - 1;
                     if (virStrncpy(vifname, data, len, sizeof(vifname)) == NULL) {
@@ -1145,10 +1154,16 @@ xenXMDomainConfigParse(virConnectPtr conn, virConfPtr conf) {
                     !(net->data.ethernet.ipaddr = strdup(ip)))
                     goto no_memory;
             }
+
             if (model[0] &&
                 !(net->model = strdup(model)))
                 goto no_memory;
 
+            if (!model[0] && type[0] &&
+                STREQ(type, "netfront") &&
+                !(net->model = strdup("netfront")))
+                goto no_memory;
+
             if (vifname[0] &&
                 !(net->ifname = strdup(vifname)))
                 goto no_memory;
@@ -2092,12 +2107,25 @@ static int xenXMDomainConfigFormatNet(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (hvm && priv->xendConfigVersion <= XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU)
+    if (!hvm) {
+        if (net->model != NULL)
+            virBufferVSprintf(&buf, ",model=%s", net->model);
+    }
+    else if (net->model == NULL) {
+        /*
+         * apparently type ioemu breaks paravirt drivers on HVM so skip this
+         * from XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU
+         */
+        if (priv->xendConfigVersion <= XEND_CONFIG_MAX_VERS_NET_TYPE_IOEMU)
+            virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",type=ioemu");
+    }
+    else if (STREQ(net->model, "netfront")) {
+        virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",type=netfront");
+    }
+    else {
+        virBufferVSprintf(&buf, ",model=%s", net->model);
         virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",type=ioemu");
-
-    if (net->model)
-        virBufferVSprintf(&buf, ",model=%s",
-                          net->model);
+    }
 
     if (net->ifname)
         virBufferVSprintf(&buf, ",vifname=%s",