diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index dbb8846e05..7027dc636c 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -3475,9 +3475,10 @@ networkCreateXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn,
     virNetworkPtr net = NULL;
     virObjectEvent *event = NULL;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, NULL);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE, NULL);
 
-    if (!(newDef = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, network_driver->xmlopt, false)))
+    if (!(newDef = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, network_driver->xmlopt,
+                                            !!(flags & VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE))))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virNetworkCreateXMLFlagsEnsureACL(conn, newDef) < 0)
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 26ff2cc759..4f3fd0197e 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -5582,9 +5582,10 @@ testNetworkCreateXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml,
     virNetworkPtr net = NULL;
     virObjectEvent *event = NULL;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, NULL);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE, NULL);
 
-    if ((newDef = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, NULL, false)) == NULL)
+    if (!(newDef = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, NULL,
+                                            !!(flags & VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE))))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(obj = virNetworkObjAssignDef(privconn->networks, newDef,
diff --git a/src/vbox/vbox_network.c b/src/vbox/vbox_network.c
index 1c23b880e8..9c27ccda56 100644
--- a/src/vbox/vbox_network.c
+++ b/src/vbox/vbox_network.c
@@ -385,8 +385,15 @@ vboxNetworkDefineCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml, bool start,
     IHost *host = NULL;
     virNetworkPtr ret = NULL;
     nsresult rc;
+    bool validate;
 
-    virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_DEFINE_VALIDATE, NULL);
+    if (start) {
+        virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE, NULL);
+        validate = flags & VIR_NETWORK_CREATE_VALIDATE;
+    } else {
+        virCheckFlags(VIR_NETWORK_DEFINE_VALIDATE, NULL);
+        validate = flags & VIR_NETWORK_DEFINE_VALIDATE;
+    }
 
     if (!data->vboxObj)
         return ret;
@@ -397,8 +404,7 @@ vboxNetworkDefineCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml, bool start,
 
     VBOX_IID_INITIALIZE(&vboxnetiid);
 
-    if (!(def = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, NULL,
-                                         !!(flags & VIR_NETWORK_DEFINE_VALIDATE))) ||
+    if (!(def = virNetworkDefParseString(xml, NULL, validate)) ||
         (def->forward.type != VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_NONE) ||
         (def->nips == 0 || !def->ips))
         goto cleanup;