diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 8575d3e756..3e1e0313c9 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -1766,7 +1766,7 @@ networkStartNetworkVirtual(struct network_driver *driver,
         }
         if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(network->def->bridge,
                                            &macTapIfName, network->def->mac,
-                                           0, false, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
+                                           false, 0, false, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
             VIR_FREE(macTapIfName);
             goto err0;
         }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 170b01087e..a6536ab2ea 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -180,7 +180,6 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     int tapfd = -1;
     int vnet_hdr = 0;
     bool template_ifname = false;
-    unsigned char tapmac[VIR_MAC_BUFLEN];
     int actualType = virDomainNetGetActualType(net);
 
     if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK) {
@@ -244,9 +243,7 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
         net->model && STREQ(net->model, "virtio"))
         vnet_hdr = 1;
 
-    memcpy(tapmac, net->mac, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
-    tapmac[0] = 0xFE; /* Discourage bridge from using TAP dev MAC */
-    err = virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(brname, &net->ifname, tapmac,
+    err = virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(brname, &net->ifname, net->mac, true,
                                          vnet_hdr, true, &tapfd,
                                          virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net));
     virDomainAuditNetDevice(def, net, "/dev/net/tun", tapfd >= 0);
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_conf.c b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
index dbbbfdafef..c7b29a0c50 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_conf.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ umlConnectTapDevice(virConnectPtr conn,
                     const char *bridge)
 {
     bool template_ifname = false;
-    unsigned char tapmac[VIR_MAC_BUFLEN];
 
     if (!net->ifname ||
         STRPREFIX(net->ifname, VIR_NET_GENERATED_PREFIX) ||
@@ -139,9 +138,7 @@ umlConnectTapDevice(virConnectPtr conn,
         template_ifname = true;
     }
 
-    memcpy(tapmac, net->mac, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
-    tapmac[0] = 0xFE; /* Discourage bridge from using TAP dev MAC */
-    if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(bridge, &net->ifname, tapmac,
+    if (virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(bridge, &net->ifname, net->mac, true,
                                        0, true, NULL,
                                        virDomainNetGetActualVirtPortProfile(net)) < 0) {
         if (template_ifname)
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevtap.c b/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
index 0fce08deb6..868ba57b08 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevtap.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#include "virmacaddr.h"
 #include "virnetdevtap.h"
 #include "virnetdev.h"
 #include "virnetdevbridge.h"
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
  * @brname: the bridge name
  * @ifname: the interface name (or name template)
  * @macaddr: desired MAC address (VIR_MAC_BUFLEN long)
+ * @discourage: whether bridge should be discouraged from using macaddr
  * @vnet_hdr: whether to try enabling IFF_VNET_HDR
  * @tapfd: file descriptor return value for the new tap device
  * @virtPortProfile: bridge/port specific configuration
@@ -265,11 +267,14 @@ int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
                                    char **ifname,
                                    const unsigned char *macaddr,
+                                   bool discourage,
                                    int vnet_hdr,
                                    bool up,
                                    int *tapfd,
                                    virNetDevVPortProfilePtr virtPortProfile)
 {
+    unsigned char tapmac[VIR_MAC_BUFLEN];
+
     if (virNetDevTapCreate(ifname, vnet_hdr, tapfd) < 0)
         return -1;
 
@@ -279,7 +284,11 @@ int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
      * seeing the kernel allocate random MAC for the TAP
      * device before we set our static MAC.
      */
-    if (virNetDevSetMAC(*ifname, macaddr) < 0)
+    memcpy(tapmac, macaddr, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
+    if (discourage)
+        tapmac[0] = 0xFE; /* Discourage bridge from using TAP dev MAC */
+
+    if (virNetDevSetMAC(*ifname, tapmac) < 0)
         goto error;
 
     /* We need to set the interface MTU before adding it
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevtap.h b/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
index 918f3dce0a..fc50e22e40 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevtap.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ int virNetDevTapDelete(const char *ifname)
 int virNetDevTapCreateInBridgePort(const char *brname,
                                    char **ifname,
                                    const unsigned char *macaddr,
+                                   bool discourage,
                                    int vnet_hdr,
                                    bool up,
                                    int *tapfd,