Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/net_backends.c
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/net_backends.c
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/net_backends.c
@@ -954,11 +954,11 @@
 
 	cp = strchr(opts, ',');
 	if (cp == NULL) {
-		set_config_value_node(nvl, "backend", opts);
+		set_config_value_node(nvl, "net_backend", opts);
 		return (0);
 	}
 	backend = strndup(opts, cp - opts);
-	set_config_value_node(nvl, "backend", backend);
+	set_config_value_node(nvl, "net_backend", backend);
 	free(backend);
 	return (pci_parse_legacy_config(nvl, cp + 1));
 }
@@ -980,22 +980,32 @@
     void *param)
 {
 	struct net_backend **pbe, *nbe, *tbe = NULL;
-	const char *value;
+	const char *value, *backend;
 	char *devname;
 	int err;
 
-	value = get_config_value_node(nvl, "backend");
+	value = get_config_value_node(nvl, "net_backend");
 	if (value == NULL) {
 		return (-1);
 	}
 	devname = strdup(value);
 
+	/* Derive the backend by devname prefix by default */
+	backend = devname;
+
+	value = get_config_value_node(nvl, "backend");
+
+	/* Use the explicitly specified backend if such configuration exists */ 
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		backend = value;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Find the network backend that matches the user-provided
 	 * device name. net_backend_set is built using a linker set.
 	 */
 	SET_FOREACH(pbe, net_backend_set) {
-		if (strncmp(devname, (*pbe)->prefix,
+		if (strncmp(backend, (*pbe)->prefix,
 		    strlen((*pbe)->prefix)) == 0) {
 			tbe = *pbe;
 			assert(tbe->init != NULL);
Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_virtio_net.c
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_virtio_net.c
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_virtio_net.c
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@
 	sc->vsc_config.mtu = mtu;
 
 	/* Permit interfaces without a configured backend. */
-	if (get_config_value_node(nvl, "backend") != NULL) {
+	if (get_config_value_node(nvl, "net_backend") != NULL) {
 		err = netbe_init(&sc->vsc_be, nvl, pci_vtnet_rx_callback, sc);
 		if (err) {
 			free(sc);