diff --git a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
index 5b5c2431de..2947a3c0e8 100644
--- a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
+++ b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
@@ -928,6 +928,7 @@ function get_disk_information {
 # * MODEL
 # * IP
 # * FILTER
+# * VIRTIO_QUEUES
 # * VROUTER_IP
 # * INBOUND_AVG_BW
 # * INBOUND_PEAK_BW
@@ -960,6 +961,7 @@ function get_nic_information {
                         $NIC_XPATH/MODEL \
                         $NIC_XPATH/IP \
                         $NIC_XPATH/FILTER \
+                        $NIC_XPATH/VIRTIO_QUEUES \
                         $NIC_XPATH/VROUTER_IP \
                         $NIC_XPATH/INBOUND_AVG_BW \
                         $NIC_XPATH/INBOUND_PEAK_BW \
@@ -979,6 +981,7 @@ function get_nic_information {
     MODEL="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     IP="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     FILTER="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    VIRTIO_QUEUES="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     VROUTER_IP="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     INBOUND_AVG_BW="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     INBOUND_PEAK_BW="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
diff --git a/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc b/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
index cbbf858b1e..73b20b7ad5 100644
--- a/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
+++ b/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
     string  ip     = "";
     string  vrouter_ip = "";
     string  filter = "";
+    string  virtio_queues = "";
 
     string  i_avg_bw = "";
     string  i_peak_bw = "";
@@ -1026,14 +1027,15 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
 
     for(int i=0; i<num; i++)
     {
-        bridge = nic[i]->vector_value("BRIDGE");
-        vn_mad = nic[i]->vector_value("VN_MAD");
-        mac    = nic[i]->vector_value("MAC");
-        target = nic[i]->vector_value("TARGET");
-        script = nic[i]->vector_value("SCRIPT");
-        model  = nic[i]->vector_value("MODEL");
-        ip     = nic[i]->vector_value("IP");
-        filter = nic[i]->vector_value("FILTER");
+        bridge        = nic[i]->vector_value("BRIDGE");
+        vn_mad        = nic[i]->vector_value("VN_MAD");
+        mac           = nic[i]->vector_value("MAC");
+        target        = nic[i]->vector_value("TARGET");
+        script        = nic[i]->vector_value("SCRIPT");
+        model         = nic[i]->vector_value("MODEL");
+        ip            = nic[i]->vector_value("IP");
+        filter        = nic[i]->vector_value("FILTER");
+        virtio_queues = nic[i]->vector_value("VIRTIO_QUEUES");
 
         vrouter_ip = nic[i]->vector_value("VROUTER_IP");
 
@@ -1102,6 +1104,13 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
         {
             file << "\t\t\t<model type="
                  << one_util::escape_xml_attr(*the_model) << "/>\n";
+
+            if(!virtio_queues.empty() && *the_model == "virtio")
+            {
+                file << "\t\t\t<driver name='vhost' queues="
+                     << one_util::escape_xml_attr(virtio_queues)
+                     << "/>\n";
+            }
         }
 
         if (!ip.empty() )
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
index 6a5d23a241..d7fc1ef9f1 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ fi
 [ -n "${SCRIPT}" ] && DEVICE+=" <script path='$(xml_esc "${SCRIPT}")'/>"
 [ -n "${MODEL}" ] && DEVICE+=" <model type='$(xml_esc "${MODEL}")'/>"
 
+if [ -n "${VIRTIO_QUEUES}" ] && [ "${MODEL}" = "virtio" ]; then
+    DEVICE+=" <driver name='vhost' queues='$(xml_esc "${VIRTIO_QUEUES}")'/>"
+fi
+
 if [ -n "${IP}" ] && [ -n "${FILTER}" ]; then
     DEVICE+=" <filterref filter='$(xml_esc "${FILTER}")'>"
     DEVICE+=" <parameter name='IP' value='$(xml_esc "${IP}")'/>"