diff --git a/include/net/vhost_net.h b/include/net/vhost_net.h
index afc1499eb9..77e47398c4 100644
--- a/include/net/vhost_net.h
+++ b/include/net/vhost_net.h
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include "net/net.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h"
 
+#define VHOST_NET_INIT_FAILED \
+    "vhost-net requested but could not be initialized"
+
 struct vhost_net;
 typedef struct vhost_net VHostNetState;
 
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index 979e622e60..2b3a36f9b5 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -686,14 +686,23 @@ static void net_init_tap_one(const NetdevTapOptions *tap, NetClientState *peer,
         if (vhostfdname) {
             vhostfd = monitor_fd_param(cur_mon, vhostfdname, &err);
             if (vhostfd == -1) {
-                error_propagate(errp, err);
+                if (tap->has_vhostforce && tap->vhostforce) {
+                    error_propagate(errp, err);
+                } else {
+                    warn_report_err(err);
+                }
                 return;
             }
         } else {
             vhostfd = open("/dev/vhost-net", O_RDWR);
             if (vhostfd < 0) {
-                error_setg_errno(errp, errno,
-                                 "tap: open vhost char device failed");
+                if (tap->has_vhostforce && tap->vhostforce) {
+                    error_setg_errno(errp, errno,
+                                     "tap: open vhost char device failed");
+                } else {
+                    warn_report("tap: open vhost char device failed: %s",
+                                strerror(errno));
+                }
                 return;
             }
             fcntl(vhostfd, F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
@@ -702,8 +711,11 @@ static void net_init_tap_one(const NetdevTapOptions *tap, NetClientState *peer,
 
         s->vhost_net = vhost_net_init(&options);
         if (!s->vhost_net) {
-            error_setg(errp,
-                       "vhost-net requested but could not be initialized");
+            if (tap->has_vhostforce && tap->vhostforce) {
+                error_setg(errp, VHOST_NET_INIT_FAILED);
+            } else {
+                warn_report(VHOST_NET_INIT_FAILED);
+            }
             return;
         }
     } else if (vhostfdname) {