diff --git a/hw/virtio-net.c b/hw/virtio-net.c
index 4bc111422a..4b09a930ef 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-net.c
@@ -367,12 +367,19 @@ static void virtio_net_handle_rx(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
     qemu_notify_event();
 }
 
-static int do_virtio_net_can_receive(VirtIONet *n, int bufsize)
+static int virtio_net_can_receive(VLANClientState *vc)
 {
+    VirtIONet *n = vc->opaque;
+
     if (!virtio_queue_ready(n->rx_vq) ||
         !(n->vdev.status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK))
         return 0;
 
+    return 1;
+}
+
+static int virtio_net_has_buffers(VirtIONet *n, int bufsize)
+{
     if (virtio_queue_empty(n->rx_vq) ||
         (n->mergeable_rx_bufs &&
          !virtqueue_avail_bytes(n->rx_vq, bufsize, 0))) {
@@ -384,13 +391,6 @@ static int do_virtio_net_can_receive(VirtIONet *n, int bufsize)
     return 1;
 }
 
-static int virtio_net_can_receive(VLANClientState *vc)
-{
-    VirtIONet *n = vc->opaque;
-
-    return do_virtio_net_can_receive(n, VIRTIO_NET_MAX_BUFSIZE);
-}
-
 /* dhclient uses AF_PACKET but doesn't pass auxdata to the kernel so
  * it never finds out that the packets don't have valid checksums.  This
  * causes dhclient to get upset.  Fedora's carried a patch for ages to
@@ -517,7 +517,10 @@ static ssize_t virtio_net_receive(VLANClientState *vc, const uint8_t *buf, size_
     struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf *mhdr = NULL;
     size_t hdr_len, offset, i;
 
-    if (!do_virtio_net_can_receive(n, size))
+    if (!virtio_net_can_receive(n->vc))
+        return -1;
+
+    if (!virtio_net_has_buffers(n, size))
         return 0;
 
     if (!receive_filter(n, buf, size))