diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
index 55c20ccb791e..21d3461fb5d1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
@@ -2504,7 +2504,7 @@ static void virtnet_init_default_rss(struct virtnet_info *vi)
 		vi->ctrl->rss.indirection_table[i] = indir_val;
 	}
 
-	vi->ctrl->rss.max_tx_vq = vi->curr_queue_pairs;
+	vi->ctrl->rss.max_tx_vq = vi->has_rss ? vi->curr_queue_pairs : 0;
 	vi->ctrl->rss.hash_key_length = vi->rss_key_size;
 
 	netdev_rss_key_fill(vi->ctrl->rss.key, vi->rss_key_size);