diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 98bd683f31..9a3d769aa2 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -589,7 +589,15 @@ static uint64_t virtio_net_get_features(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint64_t features,
     if (!get_vhost_net(nc->peer)) {
         return features;
     }
-    return vhost_net_get_features(get_vhost_net(nc->peer), features);
+    features = vhost_net_get_features(get_vhost_net(nc->peer), features);
+    vdev->backend_features = features;
+
+    if (n->mtu_bypass_backend &&
+            (n->host_features & 1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_MTU)) {
+        features |= (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_MTU);
+    }
+
+    return features;
 }
 
 static uint64_t virtio_net_bad_features(VirtIODevice *vdev)
@@ -640,6 +648,11 @@ static void virtio_net_set_features(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint64_t features)
     VirtIONet *n = VIRTIO_NET(vdev);
     int i;
 
+    if (n->mtu_bypass_backend &&
+            !virtio_has_feature(vdev->backend_features, VIRTIO_NET_F_MTU)) {
+        features &= ~(1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_MTU);
+    }
+
     virtio_net_set_multiqueue(n,
                               virtio_has_feature(features, VIRTIO_NET_F_MQ));
 
@@ -2093,6 +2106,8 @@ static Property virtio_net_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("rx_queue_size", VirtIONet, net_conf.rx_queue_size,
                        VIRTIO_NET_RX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("host_mtu", VirtIONet, net_conf.mtu, 0),
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("x-mtu-bypass-backend", VirtIONet, mtu_bypass_backend,
+                     true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/include/hw/compat.h b/include/hw/compat.h
index 4c53d600c1..400c64b318 100644
--- a/include/hw/compat.h
+++ b/include/hw/compat.h
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
         .driver   = "intel-iommu",\
         .property = "pt",\
         .value    = "off",\
+    },{\
+        .driver   = "virtio-net-device",\
+        .property = "x-mtu-bypass-backend",\
+        .value    = "off",\
     },
 
 #define HW_COMPAT_2_8 \
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
index 1eec9a2da3..602b4868d4 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ typedef struct VirtIONet {
     QEMUTimer *announce_timer;
     int announce_counter;
     bool needs_vnet_hdr_swap;
+    bool mtu_bypass_backend;
 } VirtIONet;
 
 void virtio_net_set_netclient_name(VirtIONet *n, const char *name,
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
index 7b6edbafd7..80c45c321e 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ struct VirtIODevice
     uint16_t queue_sel;
     uint64_t guest_features;
     uint64_t host_features;
+    uint64_t backend_features;
     size_t config_len;
     void *config;
     uint16_t config_vector;