diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
index 6a7cf61224..1016bcb8e0 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
@@ -148,6 +148,21 @@ func (c *clhClientApi) VmAddNetPut(ctx context.Context, netConfig chclient.NetCo
 	return c.ApiInternal.VmAddNetPut(ctx).NetConfig(netConfig).Execute()
 }
 
+// This is done in order to be able to override such a function as part of
+// our unit tests, as when testing bootVM we're on a mocked scenario already.
+var vmAddNetPutRequest = func(clh *cloudHypervisor, ctx context.Context) error {
+	cl := clh.client()
+
+	for _, netDevice := range *clh.netDevices {
+		_, _, err := cl.VmAddNetPut(ctx, netDevice)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 //
 // Cloud hypervisor state
 //
@@ -170,6 +185,7 @@ type cloudHypervisor struct {
 	APIClient      clhClient
 	ctx            context.Context
 	id             string
+	netDevices     *[]chclient.NetConfig
 	devicesIds     map[string]string
 	vmconfig       chclient.VmConfig
 	state          CloudHypervisorState
@@ -1267,6 +1283,10 @@ func openAPIClientError(err error) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("error: %v reason: %s", err, reason)
 }
 
+func (clh *cloudHypervisor) vmAddNetPut(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return vmAddNetPutRequest(clh, ctx)
+}
+
 func (clh *cloudHypervisor) bootVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	cl := clh.client()
@@ -1294,6 +1314,11 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) bootVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("VM state is not 'Created' after 'CreateVM'")
 	}
 
+	err = clh.vmAddNetPut(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	clh.Logger().Debug("Booting VM")
 	_, err = cl.BootVM(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1397,10 +1422,10 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) addNet(e Endpoint) error {
 		net.SetRateLimiterConfig(*netRateLimiterConfig)
 	}
 
-	if clh.vmconfig.Net != nil {
-		*clh.vmconfig.Net = append(*clh.vmconfig.Net, *net)
+	if clh.netDevices != nil {
+		*clh.netDevices = append(*clh.netDevices, *net)
 	} else {
-		clh.vmconfig.Net = &[]chclient.NetConfig{*net}
+		clh.netDevices = &[]chclient.NetConfig{*net}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
index 23c54b3423..b1108ab6c9 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
@@ -148,19 +148,19 @@ func TestCloudHypervisorAddNetCheckNetConfigListValues(t *testing.T) {
 	err := clh.addNet(e)
 	assert.Nil(err)
 
-	assert.Equal(len(*clh.vmconfig.Net), 1)
+	assert.Equal(len(*clh.netDevices), 1)
 	if err == nil {
-		assert.Equal(*(*clh.vmconfig.Net)[0].Mac, macTest)
-		assert.Equal(*(*clh.vmconfig.Net)[0].Tap, tapPath)
+		assert.Equal(*(*clh.netDevices)[0].Mac, macTest)
+		assert.Equal(*(*clh.netDevices)[0].Tap, tapPath)
 	}
 
 	err = clh.addNet(e)
 	assert.Nil(err)
 
-	assert.Equal(len(*clh.vmconfig.Net), 2)
+	assert.Equal(len(*clh.netDevices), 2)
 	if err == nil {
-		assert.Equal(*(*clh.vmconfig.Net)[1].Mac, macTest)
-		assert.Equal(*(*clh.vmconfig.Net)[1].Tap, tapPath)
+		assert.Equal(*(*clh.netDevices)[1].Mac, macTest)
+		assert.Equal(*(*clh.netDevices)[1].Tap, tapPath)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func TestCloudHypervisorAddNetCheckEnpointTypes(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Errorf("cloudHypervisor.addNet() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
 
 			} else if err == nil {
-				assert.Equal(*(*clh.vmconfig.Net)[0].Tap, tapPath)
+				assert.Equal(*(*clh.netDevices)[0].Tap, tapPath)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func TestCloudHypervisorNetRateLimiter(t *testing.T) {
 			if err := clh.addNet(validVeth); err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("cloudHypervisor.addNet() error = %v", err)
 			} else {
-				netConfig := (*clh.vmconfig.Net)[0]
+				netConfig := (*clh.netDevices)[0]
 
 				assert.Equal(netConfig.HasRateLimiterConfig(), tt.expectsRateLimiter)
 				if tt.expectsRateLimiter {
@@ -378,6 +378,13 @@ func TestCloudHypervisorNetRateLimiter(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCloudHypervisorBootVM(t *testing.T) {
 	clh := &cloudHypervisor{}
 	clh.APIClient = &clhClientMock{}
+
+	savedVmAddNetPutRequestFunc := vmAddNetPutRequest
+	vmAddNetPutRequest = func(clh *cloudHypervisor, ctx context.Context) error { return nil }
+	defer func() {
+		vmAddNetPutRequest = savedVmAddNetPutRequestFunc
+	}()
+
 	var ctx context.Context
 	if err := clh.bootVM(ctx); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("cloudHypervisor.bootVM() error = %v", err)
@@ -491,6 +498,12 @@ func TestCloudHypervisorStartSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 	store, err := persist.GetDriver()
 	assert.NoError(err)
 
+	savedVmAddNetPutRequestFunc := vmAddNetPutRequest
+	vmAddNetPutRequest = func(clh *cloudHypervisor, ctx context.Context) error { return nil }
+	defer func() {
+		vmAddNetPutRequest = savedVmAddNetPutRequestFunc
+	}()
+
 	clhConfig.VMStorePath = store.RunVMStoragePath()
 	clhConfig.RunStorePath = store.RunStoragePath()