diff --git a/qemu-config.c b/qemu-config.c
index bafaea2bdb..cae92f78cf 100644
--- a/qemu-config.c
+++ b/qemu-config.c
@@ -152,6 +152,18 @@ QemuOptsList qemu_device_opts = {
     },
 };
 
+QemuOptsList qemu_netdev_opts = {
+    .name = "netdev",
+    .head = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(qemu_netdev_opts.head),
+    .desc = {
+        /*
+         * no elements => accept any params
+         * validation will happen later
+         */
+        { /* end of list */ }
+    },
+};
+
 QemuOptsList qemu_net_opts = {
     .name = "net",
     .head = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(qemu_net_opts.head),
@@ -188,6 +200,7 @@ static QemuOptsList *lists[] = {
     &qemu_drive_opts,
     &qemu_chardev_opts,
     &qemu_device_opts,
+    &qemu_netdev_opts,
     &qemu_net_opts,
     &qemu_rtc_opts,
     NULL,
diff --git a/qemu-config.h b/qemu-config.h
index cdad5ac583..3cc88644e2 100644
--- a/qemu-config.h
+++ b/qemu-config.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_drive_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_chardev_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_device_opts;
+extern QemuOptsList qemu_netdev_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_net_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_rtc_opts;
 
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 3dd76b34bf..d4cac04aca 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -839,6 +839,16 @@ DEF("net", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_net,
     "                dump traffic on vlan 'n' to file 'f' (max n bytes per packet)\n"
     "-net none       use it alone to have zero network devices; if no -net option\n"
     "                is provided, the default is '-net nic -net user'\n")
+DEF("netdev", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_netdev,
+    "-netdev ["
+#ifdef CONFIG_SLIRP
+    "user|"
+#endif
+    "tap|"
+#ifdef CONFIG_VDE
+    "vde|"
+#endif
+    "socket],id=str[,option][,option][,...]\n")
 STEXI
 @item -net nic[,vlan=@var{n}][,macaddr=@var{mac}][,model=@var{type}][,name=@var{name}][,addr=@var{addr}][,vectors=@var{v}]
 Create a new Network Interface Card and connect it to VLAN @var{n} (@var{n}
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index a4f7edfbb4..534a63e821 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -5087,6 +5087,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 fd_bootchk = 0;
                 break;
 #endif
+            case QEMU_OPTION_netdev:
+                if (net_client_parse(&qemu_netdev_opts, optarg) == -1) {
+                    exit(1);
+                }
+                break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_net:
                 if (net_client_parse(&qemu_net_opts, optarg) == -1) {
                     exit(1);