diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/qemuexec.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/qemuexec.go
index 134a1f53b2..93082545ef 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/qemuexec.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/qemuexec.go
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ var (
 
 	netboot    string
 	netbootDir string
+
+	usernetAddr string
 )
 
 const maxAdditionalNics = 16
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ func init() {
 	cmdQemuExec.Flags().StringVarP(&sshCommand, "ssh-command", "x", "", "Command to execute instead of spawning a shell")
 	cmdQemuExec.Flags().StringVarP(&netboot, "netboot", "", "", "Filepath to BOOTP program (e.g. PXELINUX/GRUB binary or iPXE script")
 	cmdQemuExec.Flags().StringVarP(&netbootDir, "netboot-dir", "", "", "Directory to serve over TFTP (default: BOOTP parent dir). If specified, --netboot is relative to this dir.")
+	cmdQemuExec.Flags().StringVarP(&usernetAddr, "usernet-addr", "", "", "Guest IP network (QEMU default is '10.0.2.0/24')")
 }
 
 func renderFragments(fragments []string, c *conf.Conf) error {
@@ -356,11 +359,11 @@ func runQemuExec(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if cpuCountHost {
 		builder.Processors = -1
 	}
-	if usernet {
+	if usernet || usernetAddr != "" {
 		h := []platform.HostForwardPort{
 			{Service: "ssh", HostPort: 0, GuestPort: 22},
 		}
-		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h)
+		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h, usernetAddr)
 	}
 	if netboot != "" {
 		builder.SetNetbootP(netboot, netbootDir)
diff --git a/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
index 6d2a82204b..28d159f015 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
@@ -175,12 +175,12 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options pl
 	}
 
 	if len(options.HostForwardPorts) > 0 {
-		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(options.HostForwardPorts)
+		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(options.HostForwardPorts, "")
 	} else {
 		h := []platform.HostForwardPort{
 			{Service: "ssh", HostPort: 0, GuestPort: 22},
 		}
-		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h)
+		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h, "")
 	}
 	if options.AdditionalNics > 0 {
 		builder.AddAdditionalNics(options.AdditionalNics)
diff --git a/mantle/platform/machine/qemuiso/cluster.go b/mantle/platform/machine/qemuiso/cluster.go
index b430bb35a6..9223192149 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/machine/qemuiso/cluster.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/machine/qemuiso/cluster.go
@@ -124,12 +124,12 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options pl
 	}
 
 	if len(options.HostForwardPorts) > 0 {
-		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(options.HostForwardPorts)
+		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(options.HostForwardPorts, "")
 	} else {
 		h := []platform.HostForwardPort{
 			{Service: "ssh", HostPort: 0, GuestPort: 22},
 		}
-		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h)
+		builder.EnableUsermodeNetworking(h, "")
 	}
 
 	if options.AdditionalNics > 0 {
diff --git a/mantle/platform/qemu.go b/mantle/platform/qemu.go
index 305cd5cc0f..3a15340505 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/qemu.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/qemu.go
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ type QemuBuilder struct {
 	ignitionRendered bool
 
 	UsermodeNetworking        bool
+	usermodeNetworkingAddr    string
 	RestrictNetworking        bool
 	requestedHostForwardPorts []HostForwardPort
 	additionalNics            int
@@ -599,9 +600,10 @@ func virtio(arch, device, args string) string {
 
 // EnableUsermodeNetworking configure forwarding for all requested ports,
 // via usermode network helpers.
-func (builder *QemuBuilder) EnableUsermodeNetworking(h []HostForwardPort) {
+func (builder *QemuBuilder) EnableUsermodeNetworking(h []HostForwardPort, usernetAddr string) {
 	builder.UsermodeNetworking = true
 	builder.requestedHostForwardPorts = h
+	builder.usermodeNetworkingAddr = usernetAddr
 }
 
 func (builder *QemuBuilder) SetNetbootP(filename, dir string) {
@@ -637,6 +639,9 @@ func (builder *QemuBuilder) setupNetworking() error {
 	if builder.RestrictNetworking {
 		netdev += ",restrict=on"
 	}
+	if builder.usermodeNetworkingAddr != "" {
+		netdev += ",net=" + builder.usermodeNetworkingAddr
+	}
 	if builder.netbootP != "" {
 		// do an early stat so we fail with a nicer error now instead of in the VM
 		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(builder.netbootDir, builder.netbootP)); err != nil {