diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 6cd63aa733..2cfdd308d3 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -3231,11 +3231,12 @@ int net_init_clients(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
-int net_client_parse(const char *optarg)
+int net_client_parse(QemuOptsList *opts_list, const char *optarg)
 {
 #if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP)
     /* handle legacy -net channel,port:chr */
-    if (!strncmp(optarg, "channel,", strlen("channel,"))) {
+    if (!strcmp(opts_list->name, "net") &&
+        !strncmp(optarg, "channel,", strlen("channel,"))) {
         int ret;
 
         optarg += strlen("channel,");
@@ -3256,7 +3257,7 @@ int net_client_parse(const char *optarg)
         return ret;
     }
 #endif
-    if (!qemu_opts_parse(&qemu_net_opts, optarg, "type")) {
+    if (!qemu_opts_parse(opts_list, optarg, "type")) {
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/net.h b/net.h
index 79e9b47427..404190cb86 100644
--- a/net.h
+++ b/net.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ extern const char *legacy_bootp_filename;
 
 int net_client_init(Monitor *mon, QemuOpts *opts);
 void net_client_uninit(NICInfo *nd);
-int net_client_parse(const char *str);
+int net_client_parse(QemuOptsList *opts_list, const char *str);
 int net_init_clients(void);
 int net_slirp_smb(const char *exported_dir);
 void net_slirp_hostfwd_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index afe01af9d7..a4f7edfbb4 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -5088,7 +5088,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 break;
 #endif
             case QEMU_OPTION_net:
-                if (net_client_parse(optarg) == -1) {
+                if (net_client_parse(&qemu_net_opts, optarg) == -1) {
                     exit(1);
                 }
                 break;