diff --git a/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_network.cfg b/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_network.cfg
index 4c338770c9e..1c17ba786d1 100644
--- a/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_network.cfg
+++ b/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_network.cfg
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     start_vm = "no"
     status_error = "no"
     start_error = "no"
+    preferred_iface_state = "UP"
     variants:
         - rom_test:
             variants:
diff --git a/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_options.cfg b/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_options.cfg
index 5f3b6800441..95706b5d074 100644
--- a/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_options.cfg
+++ b/libvirt/tests/cfg/virtual_network/iface_options.cfg
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     start_vm = "no"
     status_error = "no"
     start_error = "no"
+    preferred_iface_state = "UP"
     variants:
         - iface_source_default:
             test_iface_option_cmd = "yes"
diff --git a/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_network.py b/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_network.py
index 4a42a118f3e..1ec4e511887 100644
--- a/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_network.py
+++ b/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_network.py
@@ -124,7 +124,12 @@ def modify_iface_xml(sync=True):
         source = ast.literal_eval(iface_source)
         if not source:
             source = {"network": "default"}
-        net_ifs = utils_net.get_net_if(state="UP")
+        preferred_state = params.get("preferred_iface_state", "UP")
+        net_ifs = utils_net.get_net_if(state=preferred_state)
+        # if no interfaces are available in preferred state,
+        # cancel the test
+        if len(net_ifs) == 0:
+            test.cancel("No active network interface available on host")
         # Check source device is valid or not,
         # if it's not in host interface list, try to set
         # source device to first active interface of host
diff --git a/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_options.py b/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_options.py
index f2c28632f2b..319b6308bf9 100644
--- a/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_options.py
+++ b/libvirt/tests/src/virtual_network/iface_options.py
@@ -103,7 +103,12 @@ def modify_iface_xml(update, status_error=False):
         del iface.source
         source = iface_source
         if source:
-            net_ifs = utils_net.get_net_if(state="UP")
+            preferred_state = params.get("preferred_iface_state", "UP")
+            net_ifs = utils_net.get_net_if(state=preferred_state)
+            # if no interfaces are available in preferred state,
+            # cancel the test
+            if len(net_ifs) == 0:
+                test.cancel("No active network interface available on host")
             # Check source device is valid or not,
             # if it's not in host interface list, try to set
             # source device to first active interface of host