diff --git a/net/dump.c b/net/dump.c
index dd0555f8bd..ce16a4b0e3 100644
--- a/net/dump.c
+++ b/net/dump.c
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ int net_init_dump(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     NetClientState *nc;
     DumpNetClient *dnc;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_DUMP);
-    dump = opts->dump;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_DUMP);
+    dump = opts->u.dump;
 
     assert(peer);
 
diff --git a/net/hub.c b/net/hub.c
index 3047f12766..9ae9f012cb 100644
--- a/net/hub.c
+++ b/net/hub.c
@@ -285,9 +285,9 @@ int net_init_hubport(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
 {
     const NetdevHubPortOptions *hubport;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT);
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT);
     assert(!peer);
-    hubport = opts->hubport;
+    hubport = opts->u.hubport;
 
     net_hub_add_port(hubport->hubid, name);
     return 0;
diff --git a/net/l2tpv3.c b/net/l2tpv3.c
index 4f9bceecc9..8e68e540ec 100644
--- a/net/l2tpv3.c
+++ b/net/l2tpv3.c
@@ -545,8 +545,8 @@ int net_init_l2tpv3(const NetClientOptions *opts,
     s->queue_tail = 0;
     s->header_mismatch = false;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_L2TPV3);
-    l2tpv3 = opts->l2tpv3;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_L2TPV3);
+    l2tpv3 = opts->u.l2tpv3;
 
     if (l2tpv3->has_ipv6 && l2tpv3->ipv6) {
         s->ipv6 = l2tpv3->ipv6;
diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index a3e9d1a9b3..ade6051846 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -882,8 +882,8 @@ static int net_init_nic(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     NICInfo *nd;
     const NetLegacyNicOptions *nic;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC);
-    nic = opts->nic;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC);
+    nic = opts->u.nic;
 
     idx = nic_get_free_idx();
     if (idx == -1 || nb_nics >= MAX_NICS) {
@@ -984,9 +984,9 @@ static int net_client_init1(const void *object, int is_netdev, Error **errp)
         opts = netdev->opts;
         name = netdev->id;
 
-        if (opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_DUMP ||
-            opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC ||
-            !net_client_init_fun[opts->kind]) {
+        if (opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_DUMP ||
+            opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC ||
+            !net_client_init_fun[opts->type]) {
             error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
                        "a netdev backend type");
             return -1;
@@ -997,16 +997,16 @@ static int net_client_init1(const void *object, int is_netdev, Error **errp)
         /* missing optional values have been initialized to "all bits zero" */
         name = net->has_id ? net->id : net->name;
 
-        if (opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NONE) {
+        if (opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NONE) {
             return 0; /* nothing to do */
         }
-        if (opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT) {
+        if (opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT) {
             error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
                        "a net type");
             return -1;
         }
 
-        if (!net_client_init_fun[opts->kind]) {
+        if (!net_client_init_fun[opts->type]) {
             error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
                        "a net backend type (maybe it is not compiled "
                        "into this binary)");
@@ -1014,17 +1014,17 @@ static int net_client_init1(const void *object, int is_netdev, Error **errp)
         }
 
         /* Do not add to a vlan if it's a nic with a netdev= parameter. */
-        if (opts->kind != NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC ||
-            !opts->nic->has_netdev) {
+        if (opts->type != NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_NIC ||
+            !opts->u.nic->has_netdev) {
             peer = net_hub_add_port(net->has_vlan ? net->vlan : 0, NULL);
         }
     }
 
-    if (net_client_init_fun[opts->kind](opts, name, peer, errp) < 0) {
+    if (net_client_init_fun[opts->type](opts, name, peer, errp) < 0) {
         /* FIXME drop when all init functions store an Error */
         if (errp && !*errp) {
             error_setg(errp, QERR_DEVICE_INIT_FAILED,
-                       NetClientOptionsKind_lookup[opts->kind]);
+                       NetClientOptionsKind_lookup[opts->type]);
         }
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/net/slirp.c b/net/slirp.c
index 7657b38fdf..f505570adb 100644
--- a/net/slirp.c
+++ b/net/slirp.c
@@ -746,8 +746,8 @@ int net_init_slirp(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     const NetdevUserOptions *user;
     const char **dnssearch;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_USER);
-    user = opts->user;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_USER);
+    user = opts->u.user;
 
     vnet = user->has_net ? g_strdup(user->net) :
            user->has_ip  ? g_strdup_printf("%s/24", user->ip) :
diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index b1e3b1c8d9..e8605d4ded 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -706,8 +706,8 @@ int net_init_socket(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     Error *err = NULL;
     const NetdevSocketOptions *sock;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_SOCKET);
-    sock = opts->socket;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_SOCKET);
+    sock = opts->u.socket;
 
     if (sock->has_fd + sock->has_listen + sock->has_connect + sock->has_mcast +
         sock->has_udp != 1) {
diff --git a/net/tap-win32.c b/net/tap-win32.c
index 625d53c64b..4e2fa55006 100644
--- a/net/tap-win32.c
+++ b/net/tap-win32.c
@@ -767,8 +767,8 @@ int net_init_tap(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     /* FIXME error_setg(errp, ...) on failure */
     const NetdevTapOptions *tap;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP);
-    tap = opts->tap;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP);
+    tap = opts->u.tap;
 
     if (!tap->has_ifname) {
         error_report("tap: no interface name");
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index bd01590e8e..85c4142d15 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -565,8 +565,8 @@ int net_init_bridge(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     TAPState *s;
     int fd, vnet_hdr;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_BRIDGE);
-    bridge = opts->bridge;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_BRIDGE);
+    bridge = opts->u.bridge;
 
     helper = bridge->has_helper ? bridge->helper : DEFAULT_BRIDGE_HELPER;
     br     = bridge->has_br     ? bridge->br     : DEFAULT_BRIDGE_INTERFACE;
@@ -728,8 +728,8 @@ int net_init_tap(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     const char *vhostfdname;
     char ifname[128];
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP);
-    tap = opts->tap;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP);
+    tap = opts->u.tap;
     queues = tap->has_queues ? tap->queues : 1;
     vhostfdname = tap->has_vhostfd ? tap->vhostfd : NULL;
 
diff --git a/net/vde.c b/net/vde.c
index dacaa64b47..4475d929e6 100644
--- a/net/vde.c
+++ b/net/vde.c
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ int net_init_vde(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     /* FIXME error_setg(errp, ...) on failure */
     const NetdevVdeOptions *vde;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VDE);
-    vde = opts->vde;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VDE);
+    vde = opts->u.vde;
 
     /* missing optional values have been initialized to "all bits zero" */
     if (net_vde_init(peer, "vde", name, vde->sock, vde->port, vde->group,
diff --git a/net/vhost-user.c b/net/vhost-user.c
index 17b5c2a722..0ebd7df528 100644
--- a/net/vhost-user.c
+++ b/net/vhost-user.c
@@ -301,8 +301,8 @@ int net_init_vhost_user(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     const NetdevVhostUserOptions *vhost_user_opts;
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
-    assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VHOST_USER);
-    vhost_user_opts = opts->vhost_user;
+    assert(opts->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VHOST_USER);
+    vhost_user_opts = opts->u.vhost_user;
 
     chr = net_vhost_parse_chardev(vhost_user_opts, errp);
     if (!chr) {