diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
index d8a5070a28..098351d097 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ struct virtio_user_dev {
 	uint64_t	frontend_features; /* enabled frontend features */
 	uint64_t	unsupported_features; /* unsupported features mask */
 	uint8_t		status;
+	uint16_t	net_status;
 	uint16_t	port_id;
 	uint8_t		mac_addr[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];
 	char		path[PATH_MAX];
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
index 7c275c7397..5ac813e0d6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ virtio_user_read_dev_config(struct virtio_hw *hw, size_t offset,
 			}
 			r = recv(dev->vhostfd, buf, 128, MSG_PEEK);
 			if (r == 0 || (r < 0 && errno != EAGAIN)) {
-				dev->status &= (~VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP);
+				dev->net_status &= (~VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP);
 				PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "virtio-user port %u is down",
 					    hw->port_id);
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ virtio_user_read_dev_config(struct virtio_hw *hw, size_t offset,
 						  virtio_user_delayed_handler,
 						  (void *)hw);
 			} else {
-				dev->status |= VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP;
+				dev->net_status |= VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP;
 			}
 			if (fcntl(dev->vhostfd, F_SETFL,
 					flags & ~O_NONBLOCK) == -1) {
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ virtio_user_read_dev_config(struct virtio_hw *hw, size_t offset,
 				return;
 			}
 		} else if (dev->is_server) {
-			dev->status &= (~VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP);
+			dev->net_status &= (~VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP);
 			if (virtio_user_server_reconnect(dev) >= 0)
-				dev->status |= VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP;
+				dev->net_status |= VIRTIO_NET_S_LINK_UP;
 		}
 
-		*(uint16_t *)dst = dev->status;
+		*(uint16_t *)dst = dev->net_status;
 	}
 
 	if (offset == offsetof(struct virtio_net_config, max_virtqueue_pairs))