diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 898b9afaa0..8895e873af 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -2394,7 +2394,7 @@ static int net_handle_fd_param(Monitor *mon, const char *param)
     }
 }
 
-static int net_init_nic(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_nic(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     int idx;
     NICInfo *nd;
@@ -2411,12 +2411,12 @@ static int net_init_nic(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 
     nd->vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
+    if (name) {
+        nd->name = qemu_strdup(name);
+    }
     if (qemu_opts_id(opts)) {
         nd->id = qemu_strdup(qemu_opts_id(opts));
     }
-    if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "name")) {
-        nd->name = qemu_strdup(qemu_opt_get(opts, "name"));
-    }
     if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "model")) {
         nd->model = qemu_strdup(qemu_opt_get(opts, "model"));
     }
@@ -2474,11 +2474,10 @@ static int net_init_slirp_configs(const char *name, const char *value, void *opa
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int net_init_slirp(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_slirp(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
     struct slirp_config_str *config;
-    const char *name;
     const char *vhost;
     const char *vhostname;
     const char *vdhcp_start;
@@ -2493,8 +2492,6 @@ static int net_init_slirp(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
-
     vhost       = qemu_opt_get(opts, "host");
     vhostname   = qemu_opt_get(opts, "hostname");
     vdhcp_start = qemu_opt_get(opts, "dhcpstart");
@@ -2550,15 +2547,13 @@ static int net_init_slirp(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 #endif /* CONFIG_SLIRP */
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-static int net_init_tap_win32(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_tap_win32(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
-    const char *name;
     const char *ifname;
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name   = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
     ifname = qemu_opt_get(opts, "ifname");
 
     if (!ifname) {
@@ -2575,16 +2570,13 @@ static int net_init_tap_win32(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
     return 0;
 }
 #elif !defined(_AIX)
-static int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
-    const char *name;
     TAPState *s;
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
-
     if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "fd")) {
         int fd;
 
@@ -2637,15 +2629,12 @@ static int net_init_tap(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 }
 #endif
 
-static int net_init_socket(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_socket(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
-    const char *name;
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
-
     if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "fd")) {
         int fd;
 
@@ -2721,17 +2710,15 @@ static int net_init_socket(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_VDE
-static int net_init_vde(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_vde(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
-    const char *name;
     const char *sock;
     const char *group;
     int port, mode;
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name  = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
     sock  = qemu_opt_get(opts, "sock");
     group = qemu_opt_get(opts, "group");
 
@@ -2748,18 +2735,15 @@ static int net_init_vde(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
 }
 #endif
 
-static int net_init_dump(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
+static int net_init_dump(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon, const char *name)
 {
     VLANState *vlan;
     int len;
     const char *file;
-    const char *name;
     char def_file[128];
 
     vlan = qemu_find_vlan(qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "vlan", 0), 1);
 
-    name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
-
     file = qemu_opt_get(opts, "file");
     if (!file) {
         snprintf(def_file, sizeof(def_file), "qemu-vlan%d.pcap", vlan->id);
@@ -2786,7 +2770,9 @@ static int net_init_dump(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon)
         .help = "identifier for monitor commands", \
      }
 
-typedef int (*net_client_init_func)(QemuOpts *opts, Monitor *mon);
+typedef int (*net_client_init_func)(QemuOpts *opts,
+                                    Monitor *mon,
+                                    const char *name);
 
 /* magic number, but compiler will warn if too small */
 #define NET_MAX_DESC 20
@@ -3005,6 +2991,7 @@ static struct {
 
 int net_client_init(Monitor *mon, QemuOpts *opts)
 {
+    const char *name;
     const char *type;
     int i;
 
@@ -3014,6 +3001,11 @@ int net_client_init(Monitor *mon, QemuOpts *opts)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    name = qemu_opts_id(opts);
+    if (!name) {
+        name = qemu_opt_get(opts, "name");
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; net_client_types[i].type != NULL; i++) {
         if (!strcmp(net_client_types[i].type, type)) {
             if (qemu_opts_validate(opts, &net_client_types[i].desc[0]) == -1) {
@@ -3021,7 +3013,7 @@ int net_client_init(Monitor *mon, QemuOpts *opts)
             }
 
             if (net_client_types[i].init) {
-                return net_client_types[i].init(opts, mon);
+                return net_client_types[i].init(opts, mon, name);
             } else {
                 return 0;
             }