diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
index 8757a23f6e..61517692b3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
@@ -259,20 +259,76 @@ int virtio_user_stop_device(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static inline void
-parse_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, const char *mac)
+int
+virtio_user_dev_set_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 {
-	struct rte_ether_addr tmp;
+	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (!mac)
-		return;
+	if (!(dev->device_features & (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC)))
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+
+	if (!dev->ops->set_config)
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+
+	ret = dev->ops->set_config(dev, dev->mac_addr,
+			offsetof(struct virtio_net_config, mac),
+			RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
+	if (ret)
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "(%s) Failed to set MAC address in device\n", dev->path);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int
+virtio_user_dev_get_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (!(dev->device_features & (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC)))
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+
+	if (!dev->ops->get_config)
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+
+	ret = dev->ops->get_config(dev, dev->mac_addr,
+			offsetof(struct virtio_net_config, mac),
+			RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
+	if (ret)
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "(%s) Failed to get MAC address from device\n", dev->path);
 
-	if (rte_ether_unformat_addr(mac, &tmp) == 0) {
-		memcpy(dev->mac_addr, &tmp, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static void
+virtio_user_dev_init_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, const char *mac)
+{
+	struct rte_ether_addr cmdline_mac;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (mac && rte_ether_unformat_addr(mac, &cmdline_mac) == 0) {
+		/*
+		 * MAC address was passed from command-line, try to store
+		 * it in the device if it supports it. Otherwise try to use
+		 * the device one.
+		 */
+		memcpy(dev->mac_addr, &cmdline_mac, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
 		dev->mac_specified = 1;
+
+		/* Setting MAC may fail, continue to get the device one in this case */
+		virtio_user_dev_set_mac(dev);
+		ret = virtio_user_dev_get_mac(dev);
+		if (ret == -ENOTSUP)
+			return;
+
+		if (memcmp(&cmdline_mac, dev->mac_addr, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN))
+			PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "(%s) Device MAC update failed\n", dev->path);
 	} else {
-		/* ignore the wrong mac, use random mac */
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "wrong format of mac: %s", mac);
+		ret = virtio_user_dev_get_mac(dev);
+		if (ret)
+			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "(%s) No valid MAC in devargs or device, use random\n",
+					dev->path);
+		else
+			dev->mac_specified = 1;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -508,8 +564,6 @@ virtio_user_dev_init(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, char *path, int queues,
 	dev->unsupported_features = 0;
 	dev->backend_type = backend_type;
 
-	parse_mac(dev, mac);
-
 	if (*ifname) {
 		dev->ifname = *ifname;
 		*ifname = NULL;
@@ -537,6 +591,8 @@ virtio_user_dev_init(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, char *path, int queues,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	virtio_user_dev_init_mac(dev, mac);
+
 	if (!mrg_rxbuf)
 		dev->unsupported_features |= (1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_MRG_RXBUF);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
index 8a62f7ea79..03bcf95970 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ uint8_t virtio_user_handle_mq(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint16_t q_pairs);
 int virtio_user_dev_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status);
 int virtio_user_dev_update_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 int virtio_user_dev_update_link_state(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
+int virtio_user_dev_set_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
+int virtio_user_dev_get_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 void virtio_user_dev_delayed_handler(void *param);
 int virtio_user_dev_server_reconnect(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 extern const char * const virtio_user_backend_strings[];
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
index bb36316186..34c8e7a9b5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
@@ -60,12 +60,15 @@ virtio_user_write_dev_config(struct virtio_hw *hw, size_t offset,
 	struct virtio_user_dev *dev = virtio_user_get_dev(hw);
 
 	if ((offset == offsetof(struct virtio_net_config, mac)) &&
-	    (length == RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN))
+	    (length == RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN)) {
 		for (i = 0; i < RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN; ++i)
 			dev->mac_addr[i] = ((const uint8_t *)src)[i];
-	else
+		virtio_user_dev_set_mac(dev);
+		virtio_user_dev_get_mac(dev);
+	} else {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "not supported offset=%zu, len=%d",
 			    offset, length);
+	}
 }
 
 static void
