diff --git a/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma.h b/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma.h
index b019cb843a..10a3c4fb7c 100644
--- a/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma.h
+++ b/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 #include "hw/pci/msix.h"
 #include "chardev/char-fe.h"
+#include "hw/net/vmxnet3_defs.h"
 
 #include "../rdma_backend_defs.h"
 #include "../rdma_rm_defs.h"
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ typedef struct PVRDMADev {
     RdmaBackendDev backend_dev;
     RdmaDeviceResources rdma_dev_res;
     CharBackend mad_chr;
+    VMXNET3State *func0;
 } PVRDMADev;
 #define PVRDMA_DEV(dev) OBJECT_CHECK(PVRDMADev, (dev), PVRDMA_HW_NAME)
 
diff --git a/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma_main.c b/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma_main.c
index ac8c092db0..b35b5dc5f0 100644
--- a/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma_main.c
+++ b/hw/rdma/vmw/pvrdma_main.c
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@ static void pvrdma_realize(PCIDevice *pdev, Error **errp)
     PVRDMADev *dev = PVRDMA_DEV(pdev);
     Object *memdev_root;
     bool ram_shared = false;
+    PCIDevice *func0;
 
     init_pr_dbg();
 
@@ -576,6 +577,17 @@ static void pvrdma_realize(PCIDevice *pdev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    func0 = pci_get_function_0(pdev);
+    /* Break if not vmxnet3 device in slot 0 */
+    if (strcmp(object_get_typename(&func0->qdev.parent_obj), TYPE_VMXNET3)) {
+        pr_dbg("func0 type is %s\n",
+               object_get_typename(&func0->qdev.parent_obj));
+        error_setg(errp, "Device on %x.0 must be %s", PCI_SLOT(pdev->devfn),
+                   TYPE_VMXNET3);
+        return;
+    }
+    dev->func0 = VMXNET3(func0);
+
     memdev_root = object_resolve_path("/objects", NULL);
     if (memdev_root) {
         object_child_foreach(memdev_root, pvrdma_check_ram_shared, &ram_shared);