diff --git a/net/hub.c b/net/hub.c
index 2b60ab9a60..261f8ccc3f 100644
--- a/net/hub.c
+++ b/net/hub.c
@@ -286,12 +286,9 @@ int net_init_hubport(const NetClientOptions *opts, const char *name,
     const NetdevHubPortOptions *hubport;
 
     assert(opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT);
+    assert(!peer);
     hubport = opts->hubport;
 
-    if (peer) {
-        return -EINVAL;
-    }
-
     net_hub_add_port(hubport->hubid, name);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index 7427f6a65a..d9aaeb5341 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -882,6 +882,11 @@ static int net_client_init1(const void *object, int is_netdev, Error **errp)
     } else {
         u.net = object;
         opts = u.net->opts;
+        if (opts->kind == NET_CLIENT_OPTIONS_KIND_HUBPORT) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "type",
+                      "a net type");
+            return -1;
+        }
         /* missing optional values have been initialized to "all bits zero" */
         name = u.net->has_id ? u.net->id : u.net->name;
     }