diff --git a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
index 070e53de12..4236796368 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include "libqos/virtio-pci.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 
+#define VIRTIO_NET_F_STANDBY    62
+
 #define ACPI_PCIHP_ADDR_ICH9    0x0cc0
 #define PCI_EJ_BASE             0x0008
 #define PCI_SEL_BASE            0x0010
@@ -246,6 +248,65 @@ do {                                                            \
     qobject_unref(bus);                                         \
 } while (0)
 
+static QDict *get_failover_negociated_event(QTestState *qts)
+{
+    QDict *resp;
+    QDict *data;
+
+    resp = qtest_qmp_eventwait_ref(qts, "FAILOVER_NEGOTIATED");
+    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "data"));
+
+    data = qdict_get_qdict(resp, "data");
+    g_assert(qdict_haskey(data, "device-id"));
+    qobject_ref(data);
+    qobject_unref(resp);
+
+    return data;
+}
+
+static QVirtioPCIDevice *start_virtio_net_internal(QTestState *qts,
+                                                   int bus, int slot,
+                                                   uint64_t *features)
+{
+    QVirtioPCIDevice *dev;
+    QPCIAddress addr;
+
+    addr.devfn = QPCI_DEVFN((bus << 5) + slot, 0);
+    dev = virtio_pci_new(pcibus, &addr);
+    g_assert_nonnull(dev);
+    qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(&dev->vdev);
+    *features &= qvirtio_get_features(&dev->vdev);
+    qvirtio_set_features(&dev->vdev, *features);
+    qvirtio_set_driver_ok(&dev->vdev);
+    return dev;
+}
+
+static QVirtioPCIDevice *start_virtio_net(QTestState *qts, int bus, int slot,
+                                          const char *id, bool failover)
+{
+    QVirtioPCIDevice *dev;
+    uint64_t features;
+
+    features = ~(QVIRTIO_F_BAD_FEATURE |
+                 (1ull << VIRTIO_RING_F_INDIRECT_DESC) |
+                 (1ull << VIRTIO_RING_F_EVENT_IDX));
+
+    dev = start_virtio_net_internal(qts, bus, slot, &features);
+
+    g_assert(!!(features & (1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_STANDBY)) == failover);
+
+    if (failover) {
+        QDict *resp;
+
+        resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
+        g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, id);
+        qobject_unref(resp);
+    }
+
+    return dev;
+}
+
 static void test_on(void)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
@@ -254,6 +315,7 @@ static void test_on(void)
                         "-netdev user,id=hs0 "
                         "-device virtio-net,bus=root0,id=standby0,"
                         "failover=on,netdev=hs0,mac="MAC_STANDBY0" "
+                        "-netdev user,id=hs1 "
                         "-device virtio-net,bus=root1,id=primary0,"
                         "failover_pair_id=standby0,netdev=hs1,mac="MAC_PRIMARY0,
                         2);
@@ -267,6 +329,7 @@ static void test_on(void)
 static void test_on_mismatch(void)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
+    QVirtioPCIDevice *vdev;
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
                      "-netdev user,id=hs0 "
@@ -280,12 +343,19 @@ static void test_on_mismatch(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
+
+    check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
+    check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
+
+    qos_object_destroy((QOSGraphObject *)vdev);
     machine_stop(qts);
 }
 
 static void test_off(void)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
+    QVirtioPCIDevice *vdev;
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
                      "-netdev user,id=hs0 "
@@ -299,50 +369,13 @@ static void test_off(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    machine_stop(qts);
-}
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", false);
 
-static QDict *get_failover_negociated_event(QTestState *qts)
-{
-    QDict *resp;
-    QDict *data;
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp_eventwait_ref(qts, "FAILOVER_NEGOTIATED");
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "data"));
-
-    data = qdict_get_qdict(resp, "data");
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(data, "device-id"));
-    qobject_ref(data);
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    return data;
-}
-
-static QVirtioPCIDevice *start_virtio_net(QTestState *qts, int bus, int slot,
-                             const char *id)
-{
-    QVirtioPCIDevice *dev;
-    uint64_t features;
-    QPCIAddress addr;
-    QDict *resp;
-
-    addr.devfn = QPCI_DEVFN((bus << 5) + slot, 0);
-    dev = virtio_pci_new(pcibus, &addr);
-    g_assert_nonnull(dev);
-    qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
-    qvirtio_start_device(&dev->vdev);
-    features = qvirtio_get_features(&dev->vdev);
-    features = features & ~(QVIRTIO_F_BAD_FEATURE |
-                            (1ull << VIRTIO_RING_F_INDIRECT_DESC) |
-                            (1ull << VIRTIO_RING_F_EVENT_IDX));
-    qvirtio_set_features(&dev->vdev, features);
-    qvirtio_set_driver_ok(&dev->vdev);
-
-    resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, id);
-    qobject_unref(resp);
+    check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
+    check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    return dev;
+    qos_object_destroy((QOSGraphObject *)vdev);
+    machine_stop(qts);
 }
 
 static void test_enabled(void)
@@ -362,7 +395,7 @@ static void test_enabled(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -385,7 +418,7 @@ static void test_hotplug_1(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -427,7 +460,7 @@ static void test_hotplug_1_reverse(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -458,7 +491,7 @@ static void test_hotplug_2(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -514,7 +547,7 @@ static void test_hotplug_2_reverse(void)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -579,7 +612,7 @@ static void test_migrate_out(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -775,7 +808,7 @@ static void test_migrate_abort_wait_unplug(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -865,7 +898,7 @@ static void test_migrate_abort_active(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -959,7 +992,7 @@ static void test_migrate_abort_timeout(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1070,7 +1103,7 @@ static void test_multi_out(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, false, "standby1", MAC_STANDBY1);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary1", MAC_PRIMARY1);
 
-    vdev0 = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0");
+    vdev0 = start_virtio_net(qts, 1, 0, "standby0", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1101,7 +1134,7 @@ static void test_multi_out(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby1", MAC_STANDBY1);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary1", MAC_PRIMARY1);
 
-    vdev1 = start_virtio_net(qts, 3, 0, "standby1");
+    vdev1 = start_virtio_net(qts, 3, 0, "standby1", true);
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
