diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 8e844e9df4..09b01592ef 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -498,7 +498,9 @@ ifaceCheck;
 ifaceCtrl;
 ifaceGetFlags;
 ifaceGetIndex;
+ifaceGetMacaddr;
 ifaceGetVlanID;
+ifaceSetMacaddr;
 ifaceIsUp;
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 6346243320..e9ca1c9f93 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ qemuPhysIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
     rc = openMacvtapTap(net->ifname, net->mac, net->data.direct.linkdev,
                         net->data.direct.mode, vnet_hdr, def->uuid,
                         &net->data.direct.virtPortProfile, &res_ifname,
-                        vmop);
+                        vmop, driver->stateDir);
     if (rc >= 0) {
         qemuAuditNetDevice(def, net, res_ifname, true);
         VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
@@ -149,7 +149,9 @@ qemuPhysIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
             if (err) {
                 VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(rc);
                 delMacvtap(net->ifname, net->mac, net->data.direct.linkdev,
-                           &net->data.direct.virtPortProfile);
+                           net->data.direct.mode,
+                           &net->data.direct.virtPortProfile,
+                           driver->stateDir);
                 VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index e805849760..a7f11ab436 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1610,7 +1610,9 @@ int qemuDomainDetachNetDevice(struct qemud_driver *driver,
 #if WITH_MACVTAP
     if (detach->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT) {
         delMacvtap(detach->ifname, detach->mac, detach->data.direct.linkdev,
-                   &detach->data.direct.virtPortProfile);
+                   detach->data.direct.mode,
+                   &detach->data.direct.virtPortProfile,
+                   driver->stateDir);
         VIR_FREE(detach->ifname);
     }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 8e09e52fad..b4411376a2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -2876,7 +2876,8 @@ void qemuProcessStop(struct qemud_driver *driver,
         virDomainNetDefPtr net = def->nets[i];
         if (net->type == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_DIRECT) {
             delMacvtap(net->ifname, net->mac, net->data.direct.linkdev,
-                       &net->data.direct.virtPortProfile);
+                       net->data.direct.mode,
+                       &net->data.direct.virtPortProfile, driver->stateDir);
             VIR_FREE(net->ifname);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/util/interface.c b/src/util/interface.c
index 04a922c939..7651f1d1a6 100644
--- a/src/util/interface.c
+++ b/src/util/interface.c
@@ -390,3 +390,99 @@ ifaceGetVlanID(const char *vlanifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
     return ENOSYS;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ */
+
+/**
+ * ifaceGetMacaddr:
+ * @ifname: interface name to set MTU for
+ * @macaddr: MAC address (VIR_MAC_BUFLEN in size)
+ *
+ * This function gets the @macaddr for a given interface @ifname.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 in case of success or an errno code in case of failure.
+ */
+#ifdef __linux__
+int
+ifaceGetMacaddr(const char *ifname,
+                unsigned char *macaddr)
+{
+    struct ifreq ifr;
+    int fd;
+
+    if (!ifname)
+        return EINVAL;
+
+    fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (fd < 0)
+        return errno;
+
+    memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof(struct ifreq));
+    if (virStrcpyStatic(ifr.ifr_name, ifname) == NULL)
+        return EINVAL;
+
+    if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFHWADDR, (char *)&ifr) != 0)
+        return errno;
+
+    memcpy(macaddr, ifr.ifr_ifru.ifru_hwaddr.sa_data, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+#else
+
+int
+ifaceGetMacaddr(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                unsigned char *macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    return ENOSYS;
+}
+
+#endif /* __linux__ */
+
+/**
+ * ifaceSetMacaddr:
+ * @ifname: interface name to set MTU for
+ * @macaddr: MAC address (VIR_MAC_BUFLEN in size)
+ *
+ * This function sets the @macaddr for a given interface @ifname. This
+ * gets rid of the kernel's automatically assigned random MAC.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 in case of success or an errno code in case of failure.
+ */
+#ifdef __linux__
+int
+ifaceSetMacaddr(const char *ifname,
+                const unsigned char *macaddr)
+{
+    struct ifreq ifr;
+    int fd;
+
+    if (!ifname)
+        return EINVAL;
+
+    fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (fd < 0)
+        return errno;
+
+    memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof(struct ifreq));
+    if (virStrcpyStatic(ifr.ifr_name, ifname) == NULL)
+        return EINVAL;
+
+    /* To fill ifr.ifr_hdaddr.sa_family field */
+    if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFHWADDR, &ifr) != 0)
+        return errno;
+
+    memcpy(ifr.ifr_hwaddr.sa_data, macaddr, VIR_MAC_BUFLEN);
+
+    return ioctl(fd, SIOCSIFHWADDR, &ifr) == 0 ? 0 : errno;
+}
+
+#else
+
+int
+ifaceSetMacaddr(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                const unsigned char *macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    return ENOSYS;
+}
+
+#endif /* __linux__ */
diff --git a/src/util/interface.h b/src/util/interface.h
index 6470492041..fc0611b4d7 100644
--- a/src/util/interface.h
+++ b/src/util/interface.h
@@ -32,4 +32,8 @@ int ifaceGetIndex(bool reportError, const char *ifname, int *ifindex);
 
 int ifaceGetVlanID(const char *vlanifname, int *vlanid);
 
+int ifaceSetMacaddr(const char *ifname, const unsigned char *macaddr);
+
+int ifaceGetMacaddr(const char *ifname, unsigned char *macaddr);
+
 #endif /* __VIR_INTERFACE_H__ */
diff --git a/src/util/macvtap.c b/src/util/macvtap.c
index 068638e71b..48c7b0ebe7 100644
--- a/src/util/macvtap.c
+++ b/src/util/macvtap.c
@@ -545,6 +545,103 @@ configMacvtapTap(int tapfd, int vnet_hdr)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * replaceMacAdress:
+ * @macaddress: new MAC address for interface
+ * @linkdev: name of interface
+ * @stateDir: directory to store old MAC address
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 in case of fatal error, error code otherwise.
+ *
+ */
+static int
+replaceMacAdress(const unsigned char *macaddress,
+                 const char *linkdev,
+                 char *stateDir)
+{
+    unsigned char oldmac[6];
+    int rc;
+
+    rc = ifaceGetMacaddr(linkdev, oldmac);
+
+    if (rc) {
+        virReportSystemError(rc,
+                             _("Getting MAC address from '%s' "
+                               "to '%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x' failed."),
+                             linkdev,
+                             oldmac[0], oldmac[1], oldmac[2],
+                             oldmac[3], oldmac[4], oldmac[5]);
+    } else {
+        char *path = NULL;
+        char macstr[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
+
+        if (virAsprintf(&path, "%s/%s",
+                        stateDir,
+                        linkdev) < 0) {
+            virReportOOMError();
+            return errno;
+        }
+        virFormatMacAddr(oldmac, macstr);
+        if (virFileWriteStr(path, macstr, O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_WRONLY) < 0) {
+            virReportSystemError(errno, _("Unable to preserve mac for %s"),
+                                 linkdev);
+            return errno;
+        }
+    }
+
+    rc = ifaceSetMacaddr(linkdev, macaddress);
+    if (rc) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("Setting MAC address on  '%s' to "
+                               "'%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x' failed."),
+                             linkdev,
+                             macaddress[0], macaddress[1], macaddress[2],
+                             macaddress[3], macaddress[4], macaddress[5]);
+    }
+    return rc;
+}
+
+/**
+ * restoreMacAddress:
+ * @linkdev: name of interface
+ * @stateDir: directory containing old MAC address
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 in case of fatal error, error code otherwise.
+ *
+ */
+static int
+restoreMacAddress(const char *linkdev,
+                  char *stateDir)
+{
+    char *oldmacname = NULL;
+    char *macstr = NULL;
+    char *path = NULL;
+    unsigned char oldmac[6];
+
+    if (virAsprintf(&path, "%s/%s",
+                    stateDir,
+                    linkdev) < 0) {
+        virReportOOMError();
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (virFileReadAll(path, VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN, &macstr) < 0) {
+        return errno;
+    }
+
+    if (virParseMacAddr(macstr, &oldmac[0]) != 0) {
+        macvtapError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                             _("Cannot parse MAC address from '%s'"),
+                             oldmacname);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    /*reset mac and remove file-ignore results*/
+    ignore_value(ifaceSetMacaddr(linkdev, oldmac));
+    ignore_value(unlink(path));
+    VIR_FREE(macstr);
+    return 0;
+}
 
 /**
  * openMacvtapTap:
@@ -575,7 +672,8 @@ openMacvtapTap(const char *tgifname,
                const unsigned char *vmuuid,
                virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile,
                char **res_ifname,
-               enum virVMOperationType vmOp)
+               enum virVMOperationType vmOp,
+               char *stateDir)
 {
     const char *type = "macvtap";
     int c, rc;
@@ -589,6 +687,19 @@ openMacvtapTap(const char *tgifname,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("%s: VM OPERATION: %s", __FUNCTION__, virVMOperationTypeToString(vmOp));
 
+    /** Note: When using PASSTHROUGH mode with MACVTAP devices the link
+     * device's MAC address must be set to the VMs MAC address. In
+     * order to not confuse the first switch or bridge in line this MAC
+     * address must be reset when the VM is shut down.
+     * This is especially important when using SRIOV capable cards that
+     * emulate their switch in firmware.
+     */
+    if (mode == VIR_DOMAIN_NETDEV_MACVTAP_MODE_PASSTHRU) {
+        if (replaceMacAdress(macaddress, linkdev, stateDir) != 0) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     if (tgifname) {
         if(ifaceGetIndex(false, tgifname, &ifindex) == 0) {
             if (STRPREFIX(tgifname,
@@ -684,8 +795,14 @@ void
 delMacvtap(const char *ifname,
            const unsigned char *macaddr,
            const char *linkdev,
-           virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile)
+           int mode,
+           virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile,
+           char *stateDir)
 {
+    if (mode == VIR_DOMAIN_NETDEV_MACVTAP_MODE_PASSTHRU) {
+        restoreMacAddress(linkdev, stateDir);
+    }
+
     if (ifname) {
         vpDisassociatePortProfileId(ifname, macaddr,
                                     linkdev,
diff --git a/src/util/macvtap.h b/src/util/macvtap.h
index a1383c4545..2843596cd4 100644
--- a/src/util/macvtap.h
+++ b/src/util/macvtap.h
@@ -83,12 +83,15 @@ int openMacvtapTap(const char *ifname,
                    const unsigned char *vmuuid,
                    virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile,
                    char **res_ifname,
-                   enum virVMOperationType vmop);
+                   enum virVMOperationType vmop,
+                   char *stateDir);
 
 void delMacvtap(const char *ifname,
                 const unsigned char *macaddress,
                 const char *linkdev,
-                virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile);
+                int mode,
+                virVirtualPortProfileParamsPtr virtPortProfile,
+                char *stateDir);
 
 int vpAssociatePortProfileId(const char *macvtap_ifname,
                              const unsigned char *macvtap_macaddr,