diff --git a/docs/drvesx.html.in b/docs/drvesx.html.in
index ac7bc645d1..59b27bd43e 100644
--- a/docs/drvesx.html.in
+++ b/docs/drvesx.html.in
@@ -427,6 +427,13 @@ error: invalid argument in libvirt was built without the 'esx' driver
 <pre>
 ethernet0.checkMACAddress = "false"
 </pre>
+    <p>
+        <span class="since">Since 6.6.0</span>, one can force libvirt to keep the
+        provided MAC address when it's in the reserved VMware range by adding a
+        <code>type="static"</code> attribute to the <code>&lt;mac/&gt;</code> element.
+        Note that this attribute is useless if the provided MAC address is outside of
+        the reserved VMWare ranges.
+    </p>
 
 
     <h3><a id="hardware">Available hardware</a></h3>
diff --git a/docs/formatdomain.html.in b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
index 84eafe6cd2..f5ee97de81 100644
--- a/docs/formatdomain.html.in
+++ b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
@@ -5768,6 +5768,13 @@
       attribute <code>type='pci'</code>
       as <a href="#elementsAddress">documented above</a>.
     </p>
+    <p>
+      <span class="since">Since 6.6.0</span>, one can force libvirt to keep the
+      provided MAC address when it's in the reserved VMware range by adding a
+      <code>type="static"</code> attribute to the <code>&lt;mac/&gt;</code> element.
+      Note that this attribute is useless if the provided MAC address is outside of
+      the reserved VMWare ranges.
+    </p>
 
     <h5><a id="elementsNICSVirtual">Virtual network</a></h5>
 
diff --git a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index 4b4aa60c66..a810f569c6 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -3179,6 +3179,14 @@
           <attribute name="address">
             <ref name="uniMacAddr"/>
           </attribute>
+          <optional>
+            <attribute name="type">
+              <choice>
+                <value>generated</value>
+                <value>static</value>
+              </choice>
+            </attribute>
+          </optional>
           <empty/>
         </element>
       </optional>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index d14485f18d..bcebfc633f 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -611,6 +611,13 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainChrDeviceState,
               "disconnected",
 );
 
+VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainNetMacType,
+              VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_LAST,
+              "",
+              "generated",
+              "static",
+);
+
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainChrSerialTarget,
               VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_SERIAL_TARGET_TYPE_LAST,
               "none",
@@ -11904,6 +11911,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
     virDomainChrSourceReconnectDef reconnect = {0};
     int rv, val;
     g_autofree char *macaddr = NULL;
+    g_autofree char *macaddr_type = NULL;
     g_autofree char *type = NULL;
     g_autofree char *network = NULL;
     g_autofree char *portgroup = NULL;
@@ -11984,6 +11992,7 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
             }
             if (!macaddr && virXMLNodeNameEqual(cur, "mac")) {
                 macaddr = virXMLPropString(cur, "address");
+                macaddr_type = virXMLPropString(cur, "type");
             } else if (!network &&
                        def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK &&
                        virXMLNodeNameEqual(cur, "source")) {
@@ -12173,6 +12182,18 @@ virDomainNetDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
         def->mac_generated = true;
     }
 
+    if (macaddr_type) {
+        int tmp;
+        if ((tmp = virDomainNetMacTypeTypeFromString(macaddr_type)) <= 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                           _("invalid mac address check value: '%s'. Valid "
+                             "values are \"generated\" and \"static\"."),
+                           macaddr_type);
+            goto error;
+        }
+        def->mac_type = tmp;
+    }
+
     if (virDomainDeviceInfoParseXML(xmlopt, node, &def->info,
                                     flags | VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_BOOT
                                     | VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_ROM) < 0) {
@@ -26468,8 +26489,11 @@ virDomainNetDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     virBufferAddLit(buf, ">\n");
 
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
-    virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mac address='%s'/>\n",
+    virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<mac address='%s'",
                       virMacAddrFormat(&def->mac, macstr));
+    if (def->mac_type)
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " type='%s'", virDomainNetMacTypeTypeToString(def->mac_type));
+    virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
 
     if (publicActual) {
         /* when there is a virDomainActualNetDef, and we haven't been
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 6a737591e2..241149af24 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -921,6 +921,15 @@ typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_NET_VIRTIO_TX_MODE_LAST
 } virDomainNetVirtioTxModeType;
 
+/* whether a mac address should be marked as generated in the esx driver or not*/
+typedef enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_DEFAULT = 0, /* generated */
+    VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_GENERATED,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_STATIC,
+
+    VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_LAST
+} virDomainNetMacType;
+
 /* the type of teaming device */
 typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TEAMING_TYPE_NONE,
@@ -972,6 +981,7 @@ struct _virDomainNetDef {
     virDomainNetType type;
     virMacAddr mac;
     bool mac_generated; /* true if mac was *just now* auto-generated by libvirt */
+    virDomainNetMacType mac_type;
     int model; /* virDomainNetModelType */
     char *modelstr;
     union {
@@ -3556,6 +3566,7 @@ VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainFSCacheMode);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNet);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetBackend);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetVirtioTxMode);
+VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetMacType);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetTeaming);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetInterfaceLinkState);
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainNetModel);
diff --git a/src/vmx/vmx.c b/src/vmx/vmx.c
index d4d66f6768..97ec84446a 100644
--- a/src/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/src/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -3732,6 +3732,7 @@ virVMXFormatEthernet(virDomainNetDefPtr def, int controller,
                      virBufferPtr buffer, int virtualHW_version)
 {
     char mac_string[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
+    const bool staticMac = def->mac_type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_MAC_TYPE_STATIC;
     unsigned int prefix, suffix;
 
     /*
@@ -3829,19 +3830,19 @@ virVMXFormatEthernet(virDomainNetDefPtr def, int controller,
     prefix = (def->mac.addr[0] << 16) | (def->mac.addr[1] << 8) | def->mac.addr[2];
     suffix = (def->mac.addr[3] << 16) | (def->mac.addr[4] << 8) | def->mac.addr[5];
 
-    if (prefix == 0x000c29) {
+    if (prefix == 0x000c29 && !staticMac) {
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.addressType = \"generated\"\n",
                           controller);
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.generatedAddress = \"%s\"\n",
                           controller, mac_string);
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.generatedAddressOffset = \"0\"\n",
                           controller);
-    } else if (prefix == 0x005056 && suffix <= 0x3fffff) {
+    } else if (prefix == 0x005056 && suffix <= 0x3fffff && !staticMac) {
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.addressType = \"static\"\n",
                           controller);
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.address = \"%s\"\n",
                           controller, mac_string);
-    } else if (prefix == 0x005056 && suffix >= 0x800000 && suffix <= 0xbfffff) {
+    } else if (prefix == 0x005056 && suffix >= 0x800000 && suffix <= 0xbfffff && !staticMac) {
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.addressType = \"vpx\"\n",
                           controller);
         virBufferAsprintf(buffer, "ethernet%d.generatedAddress = \"%s\"\n",
diff --git a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..212b3f192c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.vmx
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+.encoding = "UTF-8"
+config.version = "8"
+virtualHW.version = "4"
+guestOS = "other"
+uuid.bios = "c7 a5 fd bd ed af 94 55-92 6a d6 5c 16 db 18 09"
+displayName = "ethernet-mac-type"
+memsize = "216"
+sched.mem.max = "214"
+numvcpus = "1"
+floppy0.present = "false"
+floppy1.present = "false"
+ethernet0.present = "true"
+ethernet0.networkName = "br0"
+ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
+ethernet0.addressType = "static"
+ethernet0.address = "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff"
+ethernet0.checkMACAddress = "false"
+ethernet1.present = "true"
+ethernet1.networkName = "br1"
+ethernet1.connectionType = "bridged"
+ethernet1.addressType = "static"
+ethernet1.address = "00:0c:29:dd:ee:fe"
+ethernet1.checkMACAddress = "false"
+ethernet2.present = "true"
+ethernet2.networkName = "br2"
+ethernet2.connectionType = "bridged"
+ethernet2.addressType = "static"
+ethernet2.address = "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd"
+ethernet2.checkMACAddress = "false"
diff --git a/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee85a1a56a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xml2vmxdata/xml2vmx-ethernet-mac-type.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<domain type='vmware'>
+  <name>ethernet-mac-type</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219136</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219136</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'/>
+      <source bridge='br0'/>
+    </interface>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='00:0c:29:dd:ee:fe' type='static'/>
+      <source bridge='br1'/>
+    </interface>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:fd' type='generated'/>
+      <source bridge='br2'/>
+    </interface>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/xml2vmxtest.c b/tests/xml2vmxtest.c
index 8f0a2a72a4..b74fda29ef 100644
--- a/tests/xml2vmxtest.c
+++ b/tests/xml2vmxtest.c
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("ethernet-static", "ethernet-static", 4);
     DO_TEST("ethernet-vpx", "ethernet-vpx", 4);
     DO_TEST("ethernet-other", "ethernet-other", 4);
+    DO_TEST("ethernet-mac-type", "ethernet-mac-type", 4);
 
     DO_TEST("serial-file", "serial-file", 4);
     DO_TEST("serial-device", "serial-device", 4);