diff --git a/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt b/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
index 477edd1..904a6f2 100644
--- a/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
+++ b/docs/specs/vhost-user.txt
@@ -149,7 +149,9 @@ VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES. Master should stop when the number of
 requested queues is bigger than that.
 
 As all queues share one connection, the master uses a unique index for each
-queue in the sent message to identify a specified queue.
+queue in the sent message to identify a specified queue. One queue pair
+is enabled initially. More queues are enabled dynamically, by sending
+message VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE.
 
 Message types
 -------------
@@ -328,3 +330,11 @@ Message types
       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.
+
+ * VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE
+
+      Id: 18
+      Equivalent ioctl: N/A
+      Master payload: vring state description
+
+      Signal slave to enable or disable corresponding vring.
diff --git a/hw/net/vhost_net.c b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
index e2cb40b..1dcac1d 100644
--- a/hw/net/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
@@ -422,6 +422,19 @@ VHostNetState *get_vhost_net(NetClientState *nc)
 
     return vhost_net;
 }
+
+int vhost_set_vring_enable(NetClientState *nc, int enable)
+{
+    VHostNetState *net = get_vhost_net(nc);
+    const VhostOps *vhost_ops = net->dev.vhost_ops;
+
+    if (vhost_ops->vhost_backend_set_vring_enable) {
+        return vhost_ops->vhost_backend_set_vring_enable(&net->dev, enable);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 #else
 uint64_t vhost_net_get_max_queues(VHostNetState *net)
 {
@@ -472,4 +485,9 @@ VHostNetState *get_vhost_net(NetClientState *nc)
 {
     return 0;
 }
+
+int vhost_set_vring_enable(NetClientState *nc, int enable)
+{
+    return 0;
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index f72eebf..916222f 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -406,6 +406,10 @@ static int peer_attach(VirtIONet *n, int index)
         return 0;
     }
 
+    if (nc->peer->info->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VHOST_USER) {
+        vhost_set_vring_enable(nc->peer, 1);
+    }
+
     if (nc->peer->info->type != NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -421,6 +425,10 @@ static int peer_detach(VirtIONet *n, int index)
         return 0;
     }
 
+    if (nc->peer->info->type == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_VHOST_USER) {
+        vhost_set_vring_enable(nc->peer, 0);
+    }
+
     if (nc->peer->info->type !=  NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_TAP) {
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
index d6850d5..aca10a2 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ typedef enum VhostUserRequest {
     VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES = 15,
     VHOST_USER_SET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES = 16,
     VHOST_USER_GET_QUEUE_NUM = 17,
+    VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE = 18,
     VHOST_USER_MAX
 } VhostUserRequest;
 
@@ -290,6 +291,7 @@ static int vhost_user_call(struct vhost_dev *dev, unsigned long int request,
 
     case VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM:
     case VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE:
+    case VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE:
         memcpy(&msg.state, arg, sizeof(struct vhost_vring_state));
         msg.size = sizeof(m.state);
         break;
@@ -406,6 +408,22 @@ static int vhost_user_init(struct vhost_dev *dev, void *opaque)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int vhost_user_set_vring_enable(struct vhost_dev *dev, int enable)
+{
+    struct vhost_vring_state state = {
+        .index = dev->vq_index,
+        .num   = enable,
+    };
+
+    assert(dev->vhost_ops->backend_type == VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER);
+
+    if (!(dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ))) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return vhost_user_call(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE, &state);
+}
+
 static int vhost_user_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *dev)
 {
     assert(dev->vhost_ops->backend_type == VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER);
@@ -428,4 +446,5 @@ const VhostOps user_ops = {
         .vhost_backend_init = vhost_user_init,
         .vhost_backend_cleanup = vhost_user_cleanup,
         .vhost_backend_get_vq_index = vhost_user_get_vq_index,
+        .vhost_backend_set_vring_enable = vhost_user_set_vring_enable,
 };
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
index e1dfc6d..3a0f6e2 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ typedef int (*vhost_call)(struct vhost_dev *dev, unsigned long int request,
 typedef int (*vhost_backend_init)(struct vhost_dev *dev, void *opaque);
 typedef int (*vhost_backend_cleanup)(struct vhost_dev *dev);
 typedef int (*vhost_backend_get_vq_index)(struct vhost_dev *dev, int idx);
+typedef int (*vhost_backend_set_vring_enable)(struct vhost_dev *dev, int enable);
 
 typedef struct VhostOps {
     VhostBackendType backend_type;
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ typedef struct VhostOps {
     vhost_backend_init vhost_backend_init;
     vhost_backend_cleanup vhost_backend_cleanup;
     vhost_backend_get_vq_index vhost_backend_get_vq_index;
+    vhost_backend_set_vring_enable vhost_backend_set_vring_enable;
 } VhostOps;
 
 extern const VhostOps user_ops;
diff --git a/include/net/vhost_net.h b/include/net/vhost_net.h
index 8db723e..0188c4d 100644
--- a/include/net/vhost_net.h
+++ b/include/net/vhost_net.h
@@ -28,4 +28,6 @@ bool vhost_net_virtqueue_pending(VHostNetState *net, int n);
 void vhost_net_virtqueue_mask(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev,
                               int idx, bool mask);
 VHostNetState *get_vhost_net(NetClientState *nc);
+
+int vhost_set_vring_enable(NetClientState * nc, int enable);
 #endif
