diff --git a/include/net/net.h b/include/net/net.h
index 30e4b04066..11e146888b 100644
--- a/include/net/net.h
+++ b/include/net/net.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ struct NetClientState {
     int link_down;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(NetClientState) next;
     NetClientState *peer;
-    NetQueue *send_queue;
+    NetQueue *incoming_queue;
     char *model;
     char *name;
     char info_str[256];
diff --git a/net/hub.c b/net/hub.c
index df32074de0..33a99c99ef 100644
--- a/net/hub.c
+++ b/net/hub.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ bool net_hub_flush(NetClientState *nc)
 
     QLIST_FOREACH(port, &source_port->hub->ports, next) {
         if (port != source_port) {
-            ret += qemu_net_queue_flush(port->nc.send_queue);
+            ret += qemu_net_queue_flush(port->nc.incoming_queue);
         }
     }
     return ret ? true : false;
diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index 114859267e..c330c9a3a8 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ static void qemu_net_client_setup(NetClientState *nc,
     }
     QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&net_clients, nc, next);
 
-    nc->send_queue = qemu_new_net_queue(nc);
+    nc->incoming_queue = qemu_new_net_queue(nc);
     nc->destructor = destructor;
 }
 
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ static void qemu_cleanup_net_client(NetClientState *nc)
 
 static void qemu_free_net_client(NetClientState *nc)
 {
-    if (nc->send_queue) {
-        qemu_del_net_queue(nc->send_queue);
+    if (nc->incoming_queue) {
+        qemu_del_net_queue(nc->incoming_queue);
     }
     if (nc->peer) {
         nc->peer->peer = NULL;
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ void qemu_purge_queued_packets(NetClientState *nc)
         return;
     }
 
-    qemu_net_queue_purge(nc->peer->send_queue, nc);
+    qemu_net_queue_purge(nc->peer->incoming_queue, nc);
 }
 
 void qemu_flush_queued_packets(NetClientState *nc)
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ void qemu_flush_queued_packets(NetClientState *nc)
         }
         return;
     }
-    if (qemu_net_queue_flush(nc->send_queue)) {
+    if (qemu_net_queue_flush(nc->incoming_queue)) {
         /* We emptied the queue successfully, signal to the IO thread to repoll
          * the file descriptor (for tap, for example).
          */
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ static ssize_t qemu_send_packet_async_with_flags(NetClientState *sender,
         return size;
     }
 
-    queue = sender->peer->send_queue;
+    queue = sender->peer->incoming_queue;
 
     return qemu_net_queue_send(queue, sender, flags, buf, size, sent_cb);
 }
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ ssize_t qemu_sendv_packet_async(NetClientState *sender,
         return iov_size(iov, iovcnt);
     }
 
-    queue = sender->peer->send_queue;
+    queue = sender->peer->incoming_queue;
 
     return qemu_net_queue_send_iov(queue, sender,
                                    QEMU_NET_PACKET_FLAG_NONE,