diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0f802e3fb0..072aca5483 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ ifneq (,$(QEMUCMD))
 
     # qemu-specific options (all should be suffixed by "_QEMU")
     DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER_QEMU := virtio-scsi
-    DEFNETWORKMODEL_QEMU := macvtap
+    DEFNETWORKMODEL_QEMU := tcfilter
     KERNELNAME_QEMU = $(call MAKE_KERNEL_NAME,$(KERNELTYPE))
     KERNELPATH_QEMU = $(KERNELDIR)/$(KERNELNAME_QEMU)
 endif
diff --git a/virtcontainers/network.go b/virtcontainers/network.go
index eb766bf67e..511a18ca35 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/network.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/network.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (n *NetInterworkingModel) SetModel(modelName string) error {
 // DefaultNetInterworkingModel is a package level default
 // that determines how the VM should be connected to the
 // the container network interface
-var DefaultNetInterworkingModel = NetXConnectMacVtapModel
+var DefaultNetInterworkingModel = NetXConnectTCFilterModel
 
 // Introduces constants related to networking
 const (