diff --git a/net/vmnet-host.c b/net/vmnet-host.c
index a461d507c5..05f8d78864 100644
--- a/net/vmnet-host.c
+++ b/net/vmnet-host.c
@@ -9,16 +9,120 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/uuid.h"
 #include "qapi/qapi-types-net.h"
-#include "vmnet_int.h"
-#include "clients.h"
-#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "clients.h"
+#include "vmnet_int.h"
 
 #include <vmnet/vmnet.h>
 
-int net_init_vmnet_host(const Netdev *netdev, const char *name,
-                        NetClientState *peer, Error **errp) {
-  error_setg(errp, "vmnet-host is not implemented yet");
-  return -1;
+
+static bool validate_options(const Netdev *netdev, Error **errp)
+{
+    const NetdevVmnetHostOptions *options = &(netdev->u.vmnet_host);
+
+#if defined(MAC_OS_VERSION_11_0) && \
+    MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= MAC_OS_VERSION_11_0
+
+    QemuUUID net_uuid;
+    if (options->has_net_uuid &&
+        qemu_uuid_parse(options->net_uuid, &net_uuid) < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Invalid UUID provided in 'net-uuid'");
+        return false;
+    }
+#else
+    if (options->has_isolated) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "vmnet-host.isolated feature is "
+                   "unavailable: outdated vmnet.framework API");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (options->has_net_uuid) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "vmnet-host.net-uuid feature is "
+                   "unavailable: outdated vmnet.framework API");
+        return false;
+    }
+#endif
+
+    if ((options->has_start_address ||
+         options->has_end_address ||
+         options->has_subnet_mask) &&
+        !(options->has_start_address &&
+          options->has_end_address &&
+          options->has_subnet_mask)) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "'start-address', 'end-address', 'subnet-mask' "
+                   "should be provided together");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+static xpc_object_t build_if_desc(const Netdev *netdev)
+{
+    const NetdevVmnetHostOptions *options = &(netdev->u.vmnet_host);
+    xpc_object_t if_desc = xpc_dictionary_create(NULL, NULL, 0);
+
+    xpc_dictionary_set_uint64(if_desc,
+                              vmnet_operation_mode_key,
+                              VMNET_HOST_MODE);
+
+#if defined(MAC_OS_VERSION_11_0) && \
+    MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= MAC_OS_VERSION_11_0
+
+    xpc_dictionary_set_bool(if_desc,
+                            vmnet_enable_isolation_key,
+                            options->isolated);
+
+    QemuUUID net_uuid;
+    if (options->has_net_uuid) {
+        qemu_uuid_parse(options->net_uuid, &net_uuid);
+        xpc_dictionary_set_uuid(if_desc,
+                                vmnet_network_identifier_key,
+                                net_uuid.data);
+    }
+#endif
+
+    if (options->has_start_address) {
+        xpc_dictionary_set_string(if_desc,
+                                  vmnet_start_address_key,
+                                  options->start_address);
+        xpc_dictionary_set_string(if_desc,
+                                  vmnet_end_address_key,
+                                  options->end_address);
+        xpc_dictionary_set_string(if_desc,
+                                  vmnet_subnet_mask_key,
+                                  options->subnet_mask);
+    }
+
+    return if_desc;
+}
+
+static NetClientInfo net_vmnet_host_info = {
+    .type = NET_CLIENT_DRIVER_VMNET_HOST,
+    .size = sizeof(VmnetState),
+    .receive = vmnet_receive_common,
+    .cleanup = vmnet_cleanup_common,
+};
+
+int net_init_vmnet_host(const Netdev *netdev, const char *name,
+                        NetClientState *peer, Error **errp)
+{
+    NetClientState *nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_vmnet_host_info,
+                                             peer, "vmnet-host", name);
+    xpc_object_t if_desc;
+    int result = -1;
+
+    if (!validate_options(netdev, errp)) {
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    if_desc = build_if_desc(netdev);
+    result = vmnet_if_create(nc, if_desc, errp);
+    xpc_release(if_desc);
+    return result;
 }