diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 564248e021..bcdb6b0a3a 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -4732,7 +4732,7 @@ virDomainDeviceDefPostParseCommon(virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
 
     if (dev->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NET) {
         virDomainNetDefPtr net = dev->data.net;
-        if (STRNEQ_NULLABLE(net->model, "virtio") &&
+        if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net) &&
             virDomainCheckVirtioOptions(net->virtio) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
@@ -11338,7 +11338,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VHOSTUSER:
-        if (STRNEQ_NULLABLE(def->model, "virtio")) {
+        if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(def)) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("Wrong or no <model> 'type' attribute "
                              "specified with <interface type='vhostuser'/>. "
@@ -11567,7 +11567,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
     }
 
     if (def->type != VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV &&
-        STREQ_NULLABLE(def->model, "virtio")) {
+        virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(def)) {
         if (backend != NULL) {
             if ((val = virDomainNetBackendTypeFromString(backend)) < 0 ||
                 val == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_BACKEND_TYPE_DEFAULT) {
@@ -25462,7 +25462,7 @@ virDomainNetDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (def->model) {
         virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<model type='%s'/>\n",
                               def->model);
-        if (STREQ(def->model, "virtio")) {
+        if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(def)) {
             char *str = NULL, *gueststr = NULL, *hoststr = NULL;
             int rc = 0;
 
@@ -29716,6 +29716,13 @@ virDomainNetGetActualTrustGuestRxFilters(virDomainNetDefPtr iface)
 }
 
 
+bool
+virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(const virDomainNetDef *net)
+{
+    return STREQ_NULLABLE(net->model, "virtio");
+}
+
+
 /* Return listens[i] from the appropriate union for the graphics
  * type, or NULL if this is an unsuitable type, or the index is out of
  * bounds. If force0 is TRUE, i == 0, and there is no listen array,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 7776a3afb2..218aa4dd94 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3217,6 +3217,7 @@ virNetDevBandwidthPtr
 virDomainNetGetActualBandwidth(virDomainNetDefPtr iface);
 virNetDevVlanPtr virDomainNetGetActualVlan(virDomainNetDefPtr iface);
 bool virDomainNetGetActualTrustGuestRxFilters(virDomainNetDefPtr iface);
+bool virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(const virDomainNetDef *net);
 int virDomainNetAppendIPAddress(virDomainNetDefPtr def,
                                 const char *address,
                                 int family,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index c3d6306809..6f4809a68a 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -469,6 +469,7 @@ virDomainNetGetActualType;
 virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile;
 virDomainNetGetActualVlan;
 virDomainNetInsert;
+virDomainNetIsVirtioModel;
 virDomainNetNotifyActualDevice;
 virDomainNetReleaseActualDevice;
 virDomainNetRemove;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 2fb7d32dd4..128cf331b3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -3654,7 +3654,7 @@ qemuBuildNicDevStr(virDomainDefPtr def,
     bool usingVirtio = false;
     char macaddr[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    if (STREQ(net->model, "virtio")) {
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
         if (qemuBuildVirtioDevStr(&buf, "virtio-net", net->info.type) < 0)
             goto error;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 32a43f2064..1376819020 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -4665,7 +4665,7 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateNetwork(const virDomainNetDef *net)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (STREQ_NULLABLE(net->model, "virtio")) {
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
         if (net->driver.virtio.rx_queue_size & (net->driver.virtio.rx_queue_size - 1)) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                            _("rx_queue_size has to be a power of two"));
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
index 9e0b50d41e..cb1e5f9e40 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ qemuDomainPrimeVirtioDeviceAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
     for (i = 0; i < def->nnets; i++) {
         virDomainNetDefPtr net = def->nets[i];
 
-        if (STREQ_NULLABLE(net->model, "virtio") &&
+        if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net) &&
             net->info.type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_NONE) {
             net->info.type = type;
         }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 1df80fcab6..5894c3dd49 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -3710,7 +3710,7 @@ qemuDomainChangeNet(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (olddev->model && STREQ(olddev->model, "virtio") &&
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(olddev) &&
         (olddev->driver.virtio.name != newdev->driver.virtio.name ||
          olddev->driver.virtio.txmode != newdev->driver.virtio.txmode ||
          olddev->driver.virtio.ioeventfd != newdev->driver.virtio.ioeventfd ||
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
index 2607dea1f5..2816db908a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ qemuInterfaceDirectConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
     unsigned int macvlan_create_flags = VIR_NETDEV_MACVLAN_CREATE_WITH_TAP;
 
-    if (net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net))
         macvlan_create_flags |= VIR_NETDEV_MACVLAN_VNET_HDR;
 
     if (virNetDevMacVLanCreateWithVPortProfile(net->ifname,
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ qemuInterfaceEthernetConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
         template_ifname = true;
     }
 
-    if (net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net))
         tap_create_flags |= VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR;
 
     if (virNetDevTapCreate(&net->ifname, tunpath, tapfd, tapfdSize,
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ qemuInterfaceBridgeConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
         template_ifname = true;
     }
 
-    if (net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
+    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net))
         tap_create_flags |= VIR_NETDEV_TAP_CREATE_VNET_HDR;
 
     if (virQEMUDriverIsPrivileged(driver)) {
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ qemuInterfaceOpenVhostNet(virDomainDefPtr def,
     }
 
     /* If the nic model isn't virtio, don't try to open. */
-    if (!(net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))) {
+    if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
         if (net->driver.virtio.name == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_BACKEND_TYPE_VHOST) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                            "%s", _("vhost-net is only supported for "
diff --git a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
index 46443a3153..56d7cfadf1 100644
--- a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
+++ b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ get_files(vahControl * ctl)
             if (net && net->model) {
                 if (net->driver.virtio.name == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_BACKEND_TYPE_QEMU)
                     continue;
-                if (STRNEQ(net->model, "virtio"))
+                if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net))
                     continue;
             }
             needsvhost = true;
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
index b300793732..3f0c1c3fef 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvmock.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ qemuInterfaceOpenVhostNet(virDomainDefPtr def ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 {
     size_t i;
 
-    if (!(net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))) {
+    if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
         *vhostfdSize = 0;
         return 0;
     }
