diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 55c73c592d..e329c693ea 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -658,6 +658,8 @@ VLANClientState *qemu_find_netdev(const char *id)
     VLANClientState *vc;
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(vc, &non_vlan_clients, next) {
+        if (vc->info->type == NET_CLIENT_TYPE_NIC)
+            continue;
         if (!strcmp(vc->name, id)) {
             return vc;
         }
@@ -1217,7 +1219,7 @@ int do_netdev_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
     VLANClientState *vc;
 
     vc = qemu_find_netdev(id);
-    if (!vc || vc->info->type == NET_CLIENT_TYPE_NIC) {
+    if (!vc) {
         qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_NOT_FOUND, id);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -1262,7 +1264,11 @@ int do_set_link(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
             }
         }
     }
-    vc = qemu_find_netdev(name);
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(vc, &non_vlan_clients, next) {
+        if (!strcmp(vc->name, name)) {
+            goto done;
+        }
+    }
 done:
 
     if (!vc) {