diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
index 36a16d581f71..1db445b2ecc7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
@@ -679,12 +679,11 @@ static int virtnet_set_mac_address(struct net_device *dev, void *p)
 {
 	struct virtnet_info *vi = netdev_priv(dev);
 	struct virtio_device *vdev = vi->vdev;
-	struct sockaddr *addr = p;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
-		return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
-	memcpy(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data, ETH_ALEN);
-	dev->addr_assign_type &= ~NET_ADDR_RANDOM;
+	ret = eth_mac_addr(dev, p);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	if (virtio_has_feature(vdev, VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC))
 		vdev->config->set(vdev, offsetof(struct virtio_net_config, mac),
@@ -1063,7 +1062,7 @@ static int virtnet_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	/* Set up network device as normal. */
-	dev->priv_flags |= IFF_UNICAST_FLT;
+	dev->priv_flags |= IFF_UNICAST_FLT | IFF_LIVE_ADDR_CHANGE;
 	dev->netdev_ops = &virtnet_netdev;
 	dev->features = NETIF_F_HIGHDMA;