diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 826d91825f..dba218229d 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -4155,27 +4155,12 @@ lxcDomainAttachDeviceNetLive(virConnectPtr conn,
         virNetworkPtr network;
         char *brname = NULL;
         bool fail = false;
-        int active;
         virErrorPtr errobj;
 
-        if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn,
-                                               net->data.network.name)))
+        if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn, net->data.network.name)))
             goto cleanup;
-
-        active = virNetworkIsActive(network);
-        if (active != 1) {
-            fail = true;
-            if (active == 0)
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                               _("Network '%s' is not active."),
-                               net->data.network.name);
-        }
-
-        if (!fail) {
-            brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-            if (brname == NULL)
-                fail = true;
-        }
+        if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
+           fail = true;
 
         /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
         errobj = virSaveLastError();
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
index 091102b490..0aef13a0bd 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
@@ -387,27 +387,13 @@ static int virLXCProcessSetupInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
             virNetworkPtr network;
             char *brname = NULL;
             bool fail = false;
-            int active;
             virErrorPtr errobj;
 
             if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn,
                                                    def->nets[i]->data.network.name)))
                 goto cleanup;
-
-            active = virNetworkIsActive(network);
-            if (active != 1) {
-                fail = true;
-                if (active == 0)
-                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                   _("Network '%s' is not active."),
-                                   def->nets[i]->data.network.name);
-            }
-
-            if (!fail) {
-                brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-                if (brname == NULL)
-                    fail = true;
-            }
+            if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
+               fail = true;
 
             /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
             errobj = virSaveLastError();
diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 42b0c44e92..4e8375dafb 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -3166,7 +3166,8 @@ static int networkDestroy(virNetworkPtr net)
 
     if (!virNetworkObjIsActive(network)) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID,
-                       "%s", _("network is not active"));
+                       _("network '%s' is not active"),
+                       network->def->name);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -3510,6 +3511,13 @@ networkAllocateActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
     }
     netdef = network->def;
 
+    if (!virNetworkObjIsActive(network)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID,
+                       _("network '%s' is not active"),
+                       netdef->name);
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     if (VIR_ALLOC(iface->data.network.actual) < 0)
         goto error;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 6d800421c0..961c679f6a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -297,7 +297,6 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
 
     if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK) {
-        int active;
         bool fail = false;
         virErrorPtr errobj;
         virNetworkPtr network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn,
@@ -305,21 +304,8 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
         if (!network)
             return ret;
 
-        active = virNetworkIsActive(network);
-        if (active != 1) {
-            fail = true;
-
-            if (active == 0)
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                               _("Network '%s' is not active."),
-                               net->data.network.name);
-        }
-
-        if (!fail) {
-            brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-            if (brname == NULL)
-                fail = true;
-        }
+        if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
+           fail = true;
 
         /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
         errobj = virSaveLastError();
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 233b183917..ccfb358ff7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1710,7 +1710,6 @@ qemuDomainNetGetBridgeName(virConnectPtr conn, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
         if (VIR_STRDUP(brname, tmpbr) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     } else if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK) {
-        int active;
         virErrorPtr errobj;
         virNetworkPtr network;
 
@@ -1720,15 +1719,7 @@ qemuDomainNetGetBridgeName(virConnectPtr conn, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
                            net->data.network.name);
             goto cleanup;
         }
-
-        active = virNetworkIsActive(network);
-        if (active == 1) {
-            brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-        } else if (active == 0) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("Network '%s' is not active."),
-                           net->data.network.name);
-        }
+        brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
 
         /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
         errobj = virSaveLastError();