diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 91eddaf93b..a1fc0dbb6d 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@
 
 /* previously fixed value */
 #define VIRTIO_NET_RX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE 256
+#define VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE 256
+
 /* for now, only allow larger queues; with virtio-1, guest can downsize */
 #define VIRTIO_NET_RX_QUEUE_MIN_SIZE VIRTIO_NET_RX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE
+#define VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_MIN_SIZE VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE
 
 /*
  * Calculate the number of bytes up to and including the given 'field' of
@@ -1508,15 +1511,18 @@ static void virtio_net_add_queue(VirtIONet *n, int index)
 
     n->vqs[index].rx_vq = virtio_add_queue(vdev, n->net_conf.rx_queue_size,
                                            virtio_net_handle_rx);
+
     if (n->net_conf.tx && !strcmp(n->net_conf.tx, "timer")) {
         n->vqs[index].tx_vq =
-            virtio_add_queue(vdev, 256, virtio_net_handle_tx_timer);
+            virtio_add_queue(vdev, n->net_conf.tx_queue_size,
+                             virtio_net_handle_tx_timer);
         n->vqs[index].tx_timer = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL,
                                               virtio_net_tx_timer,
                                               &n->vqs[index]);
     } else {
         n->vqs[index].tx_vq =
-            virtio_add_queue(vdev, 256, virtio_net_handle_tx_bh);
+            virtio_add_queue(vdev, n->net_conf.tx_queue_size,
+                             virtio_net_handle_tx_bh);
         n->vqs[index].tx_bh = qemu_bh_new(virtio_net_tx_bh, &n->vqs[index]);
     }
 
@@ -1927,6 +1933,17 @@ static void virtio_net_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    if (n->net_conf.tx_queue_size < VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_MIN_SIZE ||
+        n->net_conf.tx_queue_size > VIRTQUEUE_MAX_SIZE ||
+        !is_power_of_2(n->net_conf.tx_queue_size)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Invalid tx_queue_size (= %" PRIu16 "), "
+                   "must be a power of 2 between %d and %d",
+                   n->net_conf.tx_queue_size, VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_MIN_SIZE,
+                   VIRTQUEUE_MAX_SIZE);
+        virtio_cleanup(vdev);
+        return;
+    }
+
     n->max_queues = MAX(n->nic_conf.peers.queues, 1);
     if (n->max_queues * 2 + 1 > VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid number of queues (= %" PRIu32 "), "
@@ -1947,6 +1964,15 @@ static void virtio_net_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         error_report("Defaulting to \"bh\"");
     }
 
+    /*
+     * Currently, backends other than vhost-user don't support 1024 queue
+     * size.
+     */
+    if (n->net_conf.tx_queue_size == VIRTQUEUE_MAX_SIZE &&
+        n->nic_conf.peers.ncs[0]->info->type != NET_CLIENT_DRIVER_VHOST_USER) {
+        n->net_conf.tx_queue_size = VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < n->max_queues; i++) {
         virtio_net_add_queue(n, i);
     }
@@ -2106,6 +2132,8 @@ static Property virtio_net_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("tx", VirtIONet, net_conf.tx),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("rx_queue_size", VirtIONet, net_conf.rx_queue_size,
                        VIRTIO_NET_RX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("tx_queue_size", VirtIONet, net_conf.tx_queue_size,
+                       VIRTIO_NET_TX_QUEUE_DEFAULT_SIZE),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("host_mtu", VirtIONet, net_conf.mtu, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("x-mtu-bypass-backend", VirtIONet, mtu_bypass_backend,
                      true),
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
index 602b4868d4..b81b6a4624 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-net.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ typedef struct virtio_net_conf
     int32_t txburst;
     char *tx;
     uint16_t rx_queue_size;
+    uint16_t tx_queue_size;
     uint16_t mtu;
 } virtio_net_conf;