diff --git a/include/net/net.h b/include/net/net.h
index 73e4c466e2..059a464212 100644
--- a/include/net/net.h
+++ b/include/net/net.h
@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ struct NICInfo {
 
 extern int nb_nics;
 extern NICInfo nd_table[MAX_NICS];
-extern int default_net;
 extern const char *host_net_devices[];
 
 /* from net.c */
diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index 0ad6217cb9..1680b680e1 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ const char *host_net_devices[] = {
     NULL,
 };
 
-int default_net = 1;
-
 /***********************************************************/
 /* network device redirectors */
 
@@ -1415,18 +1413,6 @@ void net_check_clients(void)
     NetClientState *nc;
     int i;
 
-    /* Don't warn about the default network setup that you get if
-     * no command line -net or -netdev options are specified. There
-     * are two cases that we would otherwise complain about:
-     * (1) board doesn't support a NIC but the implicit "-net nic"
-     * requested one
-     * (2) CONFIG_SLIRP not set, in which case the implicit "-net nic"
-     * sets up a nic that isn't connected to anything.
-     */
-    if (default_net) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     net_hub_check_clients();
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(nc, &net_clients, next) {
@@ -1483,14 +1469,6 @@ int net_init_clients(void)
 {
     QemuOptsList *net = qemu_find_opts("net");
 
-    if (default_net) {
-        /* if no clients, we use a default config */
-        qemu_opts_set(net, NULL, "type", "nic", &error_abort);
-#ifdef CONFIG_SLIRP
-        qemu_opts_set(net, NULL, "type", "user", &error_abort);
-#endif
-    }
-
     net_change_state_entry =
         qemu_add_vm_change_state_handler(net_vm_change_state_handler, NULL);
 
@@ -1521,7 +1499,6 @@ int net_client_parse(QemuOptsList *opts_list, const char *optarg)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    default_net = 0;
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 18d1423e57..2f74fe8fb6 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ static int default_floppy = 1;
 static int default_cdrom = 1;
 static int default_sdcard = 1;
 static int default_vga = 1;
+static int default_net = 1;
 
 static struct {
     const char *driver;
@@ -3267,11 +3268,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 fd_bootchk = 0;
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_netdev:
+                default_net = 0;
                 if (net_client_parse(qemu_find_opts("netdev"), optarg) == -1) {
                     exit(1);
                 }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_net:
+                default_net = 0;
                 if (net_client_parse(qemu_find_opts("net"), optarg) == -1) {
                     exit(1);
                 }
@@ -4361,6 +4364,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     /* clean up network at qemu process termination */
     atexit(&net_cleanup);
 
+    if (default_net) {
+        QemuOptsList *net = qemu_find_opts("net");
+        qemu_opts_set(net, NULL, "type", "nic", &error_abort);
+#ifdef CONFIG_SLIRP
+        qemu_opts_set(net, NULL, "type", "user", &error_abort);
+#endif
+    }
+
     if (net_init_clients() < 0) {
         exit(1);
     }
@@ -4509,7 +4520,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     /* Did we create any drives that we failed to create a device for? */
     drive_check_orphaned();
 
-    net_check_clients();
+    /* Don't warn about the default network setup that you get if
+     * no command line -net or -netdev options are specified. There
+     * are two cases that we would otherwise complain about:
+     * (1) board doesn't support a NIC but the implicit "-net nic"
+     * requested one
+     * (2) CONFIG_SLIRP not set, in which case the implicit "-net nic"
+     * sets up a nic that isn't connected to anything.
+     */
+    if (!default_net) {
+        net_check_clients();
+    }
+
 
     if (boot_once) {
         qemu_boot_set(boot_once, &error_fatal);