diff --git a/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt b/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
index ccbbcbb..43db9b4 100644
--- a/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
+++ b/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
@@ -301,3 +301,14 @@ Message types
       Bits (0-7) of the payload contain the vring index. Bit 8 is the
       invalid FD flag. This flag is set when there is no file descriptor
       in the ancillary data.
+
+ * VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM
+
+      Id: 17
+      Equivalent ioctl: N/A
+      Master payload: N/A
+      Slave payload: u64
+
+      Query how many queues the backend supports. This request should be
+      sent only when VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ is set in quried protocol
+      features by VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES.
diff --git a/hw/net/vhost_net.c b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
index 33b0e97..f9441e9 100644
--- a/hw/net/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ void vhost_net_ack_features(struct vhost_net *net, uint64_t features)
     vhost_ack_features(&net->dev, vhost_net_get_feature_bits(net), features);
 }
 
+uint64_t vhost_net_get_max_queues(VHostNetState *net)
+{
+    return net->dev.max_queues;
+}
+
 static int vhost_net_get_fd(NetClientState *backend)
 {
     switch (backend->info->type) {
@@ -144,6 +149,8 @@ struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options)
         goto fail;
     }
 
+    net->dev.max_queues = 1;
+
     if (backend_kernel) {
         r = vhost_net_get_fd(options->net_backend);
         if (r < 0) {
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
index 0ac8252..8b4b36b 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 
 #define VHOST_MEMORY_MAX_NREGIONS    8
 #define VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES 30
-#define VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_FEATURE_MASK 0x0ULL
+#define VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_FEATURE_MASK 0x1ULL
+
+#define VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ    0
 
 typedef enum VhostUserRequest {
     VHOST_USER_NONE = 0,
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ typedef enum VhostUserRequest {
     VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ERR = 14,
     VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES = 15,
     VHOST_USER_SET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES = 16,
+    VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM = 17,
     VHOST_USER_MAX
 } VhostUserRequest;
 
@@ -211,6 +214,7 @@ static int vhost_user_call(struct vhost_dev *dev, unsigned long int request,
     switch (msg_request) {
     case VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES:
     case VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES:
+    case VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM:
         need_reply = 1;
         break;
 
@@ -315,6 +319,7 @@ static int vhost_user_call(struct vhost_dev *dev, unsigned long int request,
         switch (msg_request) {
         case VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES:
         case VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES:
+        case VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM:
             if (msg.size != sizeof(m.u64)) {
                 error_report("Received bad msg size.");
                 return -1;
@@ -366,6 +371,14 @@ static int vhost_user_init(struct vhost_dev *dev, void *opaque)
         if (err < 0) {
             return err;
         }
+
+        /* query the max queues we support if backend supports Multiple Queue */
+        if (dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ)) {
+            err = vhost_user_call(dev, VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM, &dev->max_queues);
+            if (err < 0) {
+                return err;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
index 6467c73..c3758f3 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ struct vhost_dev {
     unsigned long long acked_features;
     unsigned long long backend_features;
     unsigned long long protocol_features;
+    unsigned long long max_queues;
     bool started;
     bool log_enabled;
     unsigned long long log_size;
diff --git a/include/net/vhost_net.h b/include/net/vhost_net.h
index 840d4b1..8db723e 100644
--- a/include/net/vhost_net.h
+++ b/include/net/vhost_net.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ typedef struct VhostNetOptions {
     void *opaque;
 } VhostNetOptions;
 
+uint64_t vhost_net_get_max_queues(VHostNetState *net);
 struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options);
 
 int vhost_net_start(VirtIODevice *dev, NetClientState *ncs, int total_queues);
