diff --git a/hmp-commands.hx b/hmp-commands.hx
index a6f5a84..7381395 100644
--- a/hmp-commands.hx
+++ b/hmp-commands.hx
@@ -1009,8 +1009,7 @@ ETEXI
         .args_type  = "netdev:O",
         .params     = "[user|tap|socket],id=str[,prop=value][,...]",
         .help       = "add host network device",
-        .user_print = monitor_user_noop,
-        .mhandler.cmd_new = do_netdev_add,
+        .mhandler.cmd = hmp_netdev_add,
     },
 
 STEXI
diff --git a/hmp.c b/hmp.c
index f3e5163..2b78f8b 100644
--- a/hmp.c
+++ b/hmp.c
@@ -943,3 +943,36 @@ void hmp_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     qmp_device_del(id, &err);
     hmp_handle_error(mon, &err);
 }
+
+void hmp_netdev_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+{
+    const char *type = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "type");
+    const char *id = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "id");
+    QString *arglist = qstring_new();
+    bool has_arglist = false;
+    const QDictEntry *entry;
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+
+    for (entry = qdict_first(qdict); entry;
+         entry = qdict_next(qdict, entry)) {
+        const char *key = qdict_entry_key(entry);
+        const char *value = qstring_get_str(qobject_to_qstring(qdict_entry_value(entry)));
+
+        if (strcmp(key, "type") == 0 || strcmp(key, "id") == 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (qstring_len(arglist) > 0) {
+            qstring_append(arglist, ",");
+        }
+
+        qstring_append(arglist, key);
+        qstring_append(arglist, "=");
+        qstring_append(arglist, value);
+        has_arglist = true;
+    }
+
+    qmp_netdev_add(type, id, has_arglist, qstring_get_str(arglist), &local_err);
+    hmp_handle_error(mon, &local_err);
+    QDECREF(arglist);
+}
diff --git a/hmp.h b/hmp.h
index 443b812..2fc041a 100644
--- a/hmp.h
+++ b/hmp.h
@@ -61,5 +61,6 @@ void hmp_block_job_set_speed(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_block_job_cancel(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_migrate(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
+void hmp_netdev_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/hw/pci-hotplug.c b/hw/pci-hotplug.c
index 785eb3d..61257f4 100644
--- a/hw/pci-hotplug.c
+++ b/hw/pci-hotplug.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ static PCIDevice *qemu_pci_hot_add_nic(Monitor *mon,
                                        const char *devaddr,
                                        const char *opts_str)
 {
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
     QemuOpts *opts;
     PCIBus *bus;
     int ret, devfn;
@@ -60,9 +61,12 @@ static PCIDevice *qemu_pci_hot_add_nic(Monitor *mon,
 
     qemu_opt_set(opts, "type", "nic");
 
-    ret = net_client_init(opts, 0);
-    if (ret < 0)
+    ret = net_client_init(opts, 0, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        qerror_report_err(local_err);
+        error_free(local_err);
         return NULL;
+    }
     if (nd_table[ret].devaddr) {
         monitor_printf(mon, "Parameter addr not supported\n");
         return NULL;
diff --git a/hw/usb/dev-network.c b/hw/usb/dev-network.c
index 6b89e66..9dad76c 100644
--- a/hw/usb/dev-network.c
+++ b/hw/usb/dev-network.c
@@ -1355,6 +1355,7 @@ static int usb_net_initfn(USBDevice *dev)
 
 static USBDevice *usb_net_init(USBBus *bus, const char *cmdline)
 {
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
     USBDevice *dev;
     QemuOpts *opts;
     int idx;
@@ -1366,8 +1367,10 @@ static USBDevice *usb_net_init(USBBus *bus, const char *cmdline)
     qemu_opt_set(opts, "type", "nic");
     qemu_opt_set(opts, "model", "usb");
 
-    idx = net_client_init(opts, 0);
-    if (idx == -1) {
+    idx = net_client_init(opts, 0, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        qerror_report_err(local_err);
+        error_free(local_err);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 8e9ca16..c758a7c 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ static const struct {
 #endif /* CONFIG_NET_BRIDGE */
 };
 
-int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
+int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev, Error **errp)
 {
     const char *name;
     const char *type;
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
 
     type = qemu_opt_get(opts, "type");
     if (!type) {
-        qerror_report(QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, "type");
+        error_set(errp, QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, "type");
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -1105,21 +1105,21 @@ int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
             strcmp(type, "vde") != 0 &&
 #endif
             strcmp(type, "socket") != 0) {
-            qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
-                          "a netdev backend type");
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
+                      "a netdev backend type");
             return -1;
         }
 
         if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "vlan")) {
-            qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER, "vlan");
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER, "vlan");
             return -1;
         }
         if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "name")) {
-            qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER, "name");
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER, "name");
             return -1;
         }
         if (!qemu_opts_id(opts)) {
-            qerror_report(QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, "id");
+            error_set(errp, QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, "id");
             return -1;
         }
     }
@@ -1138,8 +1138,7 @@ int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
 
             qemu_opts_validate(opts, &net_client_types[i].desc[0], &local_err);
             if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
-                qerror_report_err(local_err);
-                error_free(local_err);
+                error_propagate(errp, local_err);
                 return -1;
             }
 
@@ -1155,7 +1154,7 @@ int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
                 ret = net_client_types[i].init(opts, name, vlan);
                 if (ret < 0) {
                     /* TODO push error reporting into init() methods */
-                    qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_INIT_FAILED, type);
+                    error_set(errp, QERR_DEVICE_INIT_FAILED, type);
                     return -1;
                 }
             }
@@ -1163,8 +1162,8 @@ int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev)
         }
     }
 
-    qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
-                  "a network client type");
+    error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
+              "a network client type");
     return -1;
 }
 
@@ -1195,6 +1194,7 @@ void net_host_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 {
     const char *device = qdict_get_str(qdict, "device");
     const char *opts_str = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "opts");
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
     QemuOpts *opts;
 
     if (!net_host_check_device(device)) {
@@ -1209,8 +1209,10 @@ void net_host_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 
     qemu_opt_set(opts, "type", device);
 
-    if (net_client_init(opts, 0) < 0) {
+    net_client_init(opts, 0, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
         monitor_printf(mon, "adding host network device %s failed\n", device);
+        error_free(local_err);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1231,22 +1233,45 @@ void net_host_device_remove(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     qemu_del_vlan_client(vc);
 }
 
-int do_netdev_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
+void qmp_netdev_add(const char *type, const char *id,
+                    bool has_props, const char *props, Error **errp)
 {
+    QemuOptsList *opts_list;
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
     QemuOpts *opts;
-    int res;
 
-    opts = qemu_opts_from_qdict(qemu_find_opts("netdev"), qdict);
-    if (!opts) {
-        return -1;
+    opts_list = qemu_find_opts_err("netdev", &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(opts_list, id, 1, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    qemu_opt_set_err(opts, "type", type, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        goto exit_err;
+    }
+
+    qemu_opts_do_parse(opts, props, NULL, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        goto exit_err;
     }
 
-    res = net_client_init(opts, 1);
-    if (res < 0) {
-        qemu_opts_del(opts);
+    net_client_init(opts, 1, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        goto exit_err;
     }
 
-    return res;
+    return;
+
+exit_err:
+    error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
 }
 
 int do_netdev_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
@@ -1424,14 +1449,30 @@ void net_check_clients(void)
 
 static int net_init_client(QemuOpts *opts, void *dummy)
 {
-    if (net_client_init(opts, 0) < 0)
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+
+    net_client_init(opts, 0, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        error_free(local_err);
         return -1;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
 static int net_init_netdev(QemuOpts *opts, void *dummy)
 {
-    return net_client_init(opts, 1);
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = net_client_init(opts, 1, &local_err);
+    if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
+        qerror_report_err(local_err);
+        error_free(local_err);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int net_init_clients(void)
diff --git a/net.h b/net.h
index 9d1ed93..0dfa49a 100644
--- a/net.h
+++ b/net.h
@@ -163,14 +163,13 @@ struct HCIInfo *qemu_next_hci(void);
 extern const char *legacy_tftp_prefix;
 extern const char *legacy_bootp_filename;
 
-int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev);
+int net_client_init(QemuOpts *opts, int is_netdev, Error **errp);
 int net_client_parse(QemuOptsList *opts_list, const char *str);
 int net_init_clients(void);
 void net_check_clients(void);
 void net_cleanup(void);
 void net_host_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void net_host_device_remove(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
-int do_netdev_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data);
 int do_netdev_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data);
 
 #define DEFAULT_NETWORK_SCRIPT "/etc/qemu-ifup"
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index ace55f3..8fec5f0 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -1721,3 +1721,31 @@
 # Since: 0.14.0
 ##
 { 'command': 'device_del', 'data': {'id': 'str'} }
+
+##
+# @netdev_add:
+#
+# Add a network backend.
+#
+# @type: the type of network backend.  Current valid values are 'user', 'tap',
+#        'vde', 'socket', 'dump' and 'bridge'
+#
+# @id: the name of the new network backend
+#
+# @props: #optional a list of properties to be passed to the backend in
+#         the format 'name=value', like 'ifname=tap0,script=no'
+#
+# Notes: The semantics of @props is not well defined.  Future commands will be
+#        introduced that provide stronger typing for backend creation.
+#
+# Since: 0.14.0
+#
+# Returns: Nothing on success
+#          If @type is not a valid network backend, DeviceNotFound
+#          If @id is not a valid identifier, InvalidParameterValue
+#          if @id already exists, DuplicateId
+#          If @props contains an invalid parameter for this backend,
+#            InvalidParameter
+##
+{ 'command': 'netdev_add',
+  'data': {'type': 'str', 'id': 'str', '*props': '**'} }
diff --git a/qmp-commands.hx b/qmp-commands.hx
index c09ee85..5f73ac3 100644
--- a/qmp-commands.hx
+++ b/qmp-commands.hx
@@ -606,10 +606,7 @@ EQMP
     {
         .name       = "netdev_add",
         .args_type  = "netdev:O",
-        .params     = "[user|tap|socket],id=str[,prop=value][,...]",
-        .help       = "add host network device",
-        .user_print = monitor_user_noop,
-        .mhandler.cmd_new = do_netdev_add,
+        .mhandler.cmd_new = qmp_marshal_input_netdev_add,
     },
 
 SQMP
