diff --git a/src/conf/domain_validate.c b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
index eb5e764c02..d0e2bcaccf 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_validate.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
@@ -2186,12 +2186,6 @@ virDomainNetDefValidate(const virDomainNetDef *net)
 
     switch (net->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VHOSTUSER:
-        if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("Wrong or no <model> 'type' attribute specified with <interface type='vhostuser'/>. vhostuser requires the virtio-net* frontend"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
         if (net->data.vhostuser->data.nix.listen &&
             net->data.vhostuser->data.nix.reconnect.enabled == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 06093bc42b..243c499a33 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -1823,17 +1823,18 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefNetwork(const virDomainNetDef *net,
                            _("vDPA devices are not supported with this QEMU binary"));
             return -1;
         }
+    }
 
-        if (net->model != VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MODEL_VIRTIO) {
+    if (!virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
+        if (net->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VDPA ||
+            net->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_VHOSTUSER) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                           _("invalid model for interface of type '%1$s': '%2$s'"),
+                           _("invalid model for interface of type '%1$s': '%2$s' - must be 'virtio'"),
                            virDomainNetTypeToString(net->type),
                            virDomainNetModelTypeToString(net->model));
             return -1;
         }
-    }
-
-    if (virDomainNetIsVirtioModel(net)) {
+    } else {
         if (net->driver.virtio.rx_queue_size) {
             if (!VIR_IS_POW2(net->driver.virtio.rx_queue_size)) {
                 virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",