diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
index 418092eee236..58cce0bd1580 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
@@ -549,6 +549,34 @@ class GuestTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             self.guest.get_interface_by_cfg(cfg))
         self.assertIsNone(self.guest.get_interface_by_cfg(None))
 
+    def test_get_interface_by_cfg_vhostuser(self):
+        self.domain.XMLDesc.return_value = """<domain>
+  <devices>
+    <interface type="vhostuser">
+      <mac address='fa:16:3e:55:3e:e4'/>
+      <source type='unix' path='/var/run/openvswitch/vhued80c655-4e'
+       mode='server'/>
+      <target dev='vhued80c655-4e'/>
+      <model type='virtio'/>
+      <alias name='net0'/>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x03'
+       function='0x0'/>
+    </interface>
+  </devices>
+</domain>"""
+        cfg = vconfig.LibvirtConfigGuestInterface()
+        cfg.parse_str("""<interface type="vhostuser">
+  <mac address='fa:16:3e:55:3e:e4'/>
+  <model type="virtio"/>
+  <source type='unix' path='/var/run/openvswitch/vhued80c655-4e'
+   mode='server'/>
+  <alias name='net0'/>
+  <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/>
+  </interface>""")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(
+            self.guest.get_interface_by_cfg(cfg))
+        self.assertIsNone(self.guest.get_interface_by_cfg(None))
+
     def test_get_info(self):
         self.domain.info.return_value = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
         self.domain.ID.return_value = 6
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
index b4ea4a4ef27f..3d242e7eb1dc 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
@@ -241,10 +241,13 @@ class Guest(object):
                 # NOTE(leehom) LibvirtConfigGuestInterface get from domain and
                 # LibvirtConfigGuestInterface generated by
                 # nova.virt.libvirt.vif.get_config must be identical.
+                # NOTE(arches) Skip checking target_dev for vhostuser
+                # vif type; target_dev is not a valid value for vhostuser.
                 if (interface.mac_addr == cfg.mac_addr and
                         interface.net_type == cfg.net_type and
                         interface.source_dev == cfg.source_dev and
-                        interface.target_dev == cfg.target_dev and
+                        (cfg.net_type == 'vhostuser' or
+                            interface.target_dev == cfg.target_dev) and
                         interface.vhostuser_path == cfg.vhostuser_path):
                     return interface