diff --git a/hw/vhost.c b/hw/vhost.c
index 6082da287e..38cc3b365b 100644
--- a/hw/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/vhost.c
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ static void vhost_virtqueue_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                               0, virtio_queue_get_desc_size(vdev, idx));
 }
 
-int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, int devfd)
+int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, int devfd, bool force)
 {
     uint64_t features;
     int r;
@@ -613,6 +613,7 @@ int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, int devfd)
     hdev->log_enabled = false;
     hdev->started = false;
     cpu_register_phys_memory_client(&hdev->client);
+    hdev->force = force;
     return 0;
 fail:
     r = -errno;
@@ -627,6 +628,13 @@ void vhost_dev_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *hdev)
     close(hdev->control);
 }
 
+bool vhost_dev_query(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
+{
+    return !vdev->binding->query_guest_notifiers ||
+        vdev->binding->query_guest_notifiers(vdev->binding_opaque) ||
+        hdev->force;
+}
+
 int vhost_dev_start(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
 {
     int i, r;
diff --git a/hw/vhost.h b/hw/vhost.h
index 86dd834dbe..c8c595a147 100644
--- a/hw/vhost.h
+++ b/hw/vhost.h
@@ -38,10 +38,12 @@ struct vhost_dev {
     bool log_enabled;
     vhost_log_chunk_t *log;
     unsigned long long log_size;
+    bool force;
 };
 
-int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, int devfd);
+int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, int devfd, bool force);
 void vhost_dev_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *hdev);
+bool vhost_dev_query(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
 int vhost_dev_start(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
 void vhost_dev_stop(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
 
diff --git a/hw/vhost_net.c b/hw/vhost_net.c
index c068be1f54..420e05f112 100644
--- a/hw/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/vhost_net.c
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ static int vhost_net_get_fd(VLANClientState *backend)
     }
 }
 
-struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd)
+struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd,
+                                 bool force)
 {
     int r;
     struct vhost_net *net = qemu_malloc(sizeof *net);
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd)
         (1 << VHOST_NET_F_VIRTIO_NET_HDR);
     net->backend = r;
 
-    r = vhost_dev_init(&net->dev, devfd);
+    r = vhost_dev_init(&net->dev, devfd, force);
     if (r < 0) {
         goto fail;
     }
@@ -121,6 +122,11 @@ fail:
     return NULL;
 }
 
+bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev)
+{
+    return vhost_dev_query(&net->dev, dev);
+}
+
 int vhost_net_start(struct vhost_net *net,
                     VirtIODevice *dev)
 {
@@ -188,15 +194,21 @@ void vhost_net_cleanup(struct vhost_net *net)
     qemu_free(net);
 }
 #else
-struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd)
+struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd,
+                                 bool force)
 {
-	return NULL;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev)
+{
+    return false;
 }
 
 int vhost_net_start(struct vhost_net *net,
 		    VirtIODevice *dev)
 {
-	return -ENOSYS;
+    return -ENOSYS;
 }
 void vhost_net_stop(struct vhost_net *net,
 		    VirtIODevice *dev)
@@ -209,7 +221,7 @@ void vhost_net_cleanup(struct vhost_net *net)
 
 unsigned vhost_net_get_features(struct vhost_net *net, unsigned features)
 {
-	return features;
+    return features;
 }
 void vhost_net_ack_features(struct vhost_net *net, unsigned features)
 {
diff --git a/hw/vhost_net.h b/hw/vhost_net.h
index 6c18ff7e94..91e40b195e 100644
--- a/hw/vhost_net.h
+++ b/hw/vhost_net.h
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
 struct vhost_net;
 typedef struct vhost_net VHostNetState;
 
-VHostNetState *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd);
+VHostNetState *vhost_net_init(VLANClientState *backend, int devfd, bool force);
 
+bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev);
 int vhost_net_start(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev);
 void vhost_net_stop(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev);
 
diff --git a/hw/virtio-net.c b/hw/virtio-net.c
index 161f11445f..671d952921 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-net.c
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ static void virtio_net_vhost_status(VirtIONet *n, uint8_t status)
         return;
     }
     if (!n->vhost_started) {
-        int r = vhost_net_start(tap_get_vhost_net(n->nic->nc.peer), &n->vdev);
+        int r;
+        if (!vhost_net_query(tap_get_vhost_net(n->nic->nc.peer), &n->vdev)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        r = vhost_net_start(tap_get_vhost_net(n->nic->nc.peer), &n->vdev);
         if (r < 0) {
             error_report("unable to start vhost net: %d: "
                          "falling back on userspace virtio", -r);
diff --git a/hw/virtio-pci.c b/hw/virtio-pci.c
index d07ff976be..3911b09b07 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-pci.c
@@ -595,6 +595,12 @@ static int virtio_pci_set_guest_notifier(void *opaque, int n, bool assign)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static bool virtio_pci_query_guest_notifiers(void *opaque)
+{
+    VirtIOPCIProxy *proxy = opaque;
+    return msix_enabled(&proxy->pci_dev);
+}
+
 static int virtio_pci_set_guest_notifiers(void *opaque, bool assign)
 {
     VirtIOPCIProxy *proxy = opaque;
@@ -658,6 +664,7 @@ static const VirtIOBindings virtio_pci_bindings = {
     .save_queue = virtio_pci_save_queue,
     .load_queue = virtio_pci_load_queue,
     .get_features = virtio_pci_get_features,
+    .query_guest_notifiers = virtio_pci_query_guest_notifiers,
     .set_host_notifier = virtio_pci_set_host_notifier,
     .set_guest_notifiers = virtio_pci_set_guest_notifiers,
     .vmstate_change = virtio_pci_vmstate_change,
diff --git a/hw/virtio.h b/hw/virtio.h
index d8546d5b30..31d16e1c31 100644
--- a/hw/virtio.h
+++ b/hw/virtio.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int (*load_config)(void * opaque, QEMUFile *f);
     int (*load_queue)(void * opaque, int n, QEMUFile *f);
     unsigned (*get_features)(void * opaque);
+    bool (*query_guest_notifiers)(void * opaque);
     int (*set_guest_notifiers)(void * opaque, bool assigned);
     int (*set_host_notifier)(void * opaque, int n, bool assigned);
     void (*vmstate_change)(void * opaque, bool running);
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index eada34ac2b..b8cd25267c 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -491,8 +491,10 @@ int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name, VLANState *vlan
         }
     }
 
-    if (qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "vhost", !!qemu_opt_get(opts, "vhostfd"))) {
+    if (qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "vhost", !!qemu_opt_get(opts, "vhostfd") ||
+                          qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "vhostforce", false))) {
         int vhostfd, r;
+        bool force = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "vhostforce", false);
         if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "vhostfd")) {
             r = net_handle_fd_param(mon, qemu_opt_get(opts, "vhostfd"));
             if (r == -1) {
@@ -502,7 +504,7 @@ int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name, VLANState *vlan
         } else {
             vhostfd = -1;
         }
-        s->vhost_net = vhost_net_init(&s->nc, vhostfd);
+        s->vhost_net = vhost_net_init(&s->nc, vhostfd, force);
         if (!s->vhost_net) {
             error_report("vhost-net requested but could not be initialized");
             return -1;
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 598a1bdf77..945edf3562 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ DEF("net", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_net,
     "-net tap[,vlan=n][,name=str],ifname=name\n"
     "                connect the host TAP network interface to VLAN 'n'\n"
 #else
-    "-net tap[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,ifname=name][,script=file][,downscript=dfile][,sndbuf=nbytes][,vnet_hdr=on|off][,vhost=on|off][,vhostfd=h]\n"
+    "-net tap[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,ifname=name][,script=file][,downscript=dfile][,sndbuf=nbytes][,vnet_hdr=on|off][,vhost=on|off][,vhostfd=h][,vhostforce=on|off]\n"
     "                connect the host TAP network interface to VLAN 'n' and use the\n"
     "                network scripts 'file' (default=" DEFAULT_NETWORK_SCRIPT ")\n"
     "                and 'dfile' (default=" DEFAULT_NETWORK_DOWN_SCRIPT ")\n"
@@ -1061,6 +1061,8 @@ DEF("net", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_net,
     "                use vnet_hdr=off to avoid enabling the IFF_VNET_HDR tap flag\n"
     "                use vnet_hdr=on to make the lack of IFF_VNET_HDR support an error condition\n"
     "                use vhost=on to enable experimental in kernel accelerator\n"
+    "                    (only has effect for virtio guests which use MSIX)\n"
+    "                use vhostforce=on to force vhost on for non-MSIX virtio guests\n"
     "                use 'vhostfd=h' to connect to an already opened vhost net device\n"
 #endif
     "-net socket[,vlan=n][,name=str][,fd=h][,listen=[host]:port][,connect=host:port]\n"