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", 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", dev->path);
+
+       return ret;
+}
+
+static void
+virtio_user_dev_init_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, const char *mac)
+{
+       struct rte_ether_addr cmdline_mac;
+       char buf[RTE_ETHER_ADDR_FMT_SIZE];
+       int ret;
 
-       if (rte_ether_unformat_addr(mac, &tmp) == 0) {
-               memcpy(dev->mac_addr, &tmp, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
+       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)
+                       goto out;
+
+               if (memcmp(&cmdline_mac, dev->mac_addr, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN))
+                       PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "(%s) Device MAC update failed", 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",
+                                       dev->path);
+                       return;
+               }
+
+               dev->mac_specified = 1;
        }
+out:
+       rte_ether_format_addr(buf, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_FMT_SIZE,
+                       (struct rte_ether_addr *)dev->mac_addr);
+       PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "(%s) MAC %s specified", dev->path, buf);
 }
 
 static int
        dev->unsupported_features = 0;
        dev->backend_type = backend_type;
 
-       parse_mac(dev, mac);
-
        if (*ifname) {
                dev->ifname = *ifname;
                *ifname = NULL;
                return -1;
        }
 
+       virtio_user_dev_init_mac(dev, mac);
+
        if (!mrg_rxbuf)
                dev->unsupported_features |= (1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_MRG_RXBUF);