diff --git a/net/colo-compare.c b/net/colo-compare.c
index b100e7b51f..bc1cc951c0 100644
--- a/net/colo-compare.c
+++ b/net/colo-compare.c
@@ -838,6 +838,23 @@ static int compare_chr_can_read(void *opaque)
     return COMPARE_READ_LEN_MAX;
 }
 
+/* check vnet_hdr_support flag through COLO filter modules */
+static int colo_vnet_driver_check(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
+{
+    const char *colo_obj_type;
+
+    colo_obj_type = qemu_opt_get(opts, "qom-type");
+
+    if (strcmp(colo_obj_type, "filter-mirror") == 0 ||
+        strcmp(colo_obj_type, "filter-redirector") == 0 ||
+        strcmp(colo_obj_type, "filter-rewriter") == 0) {
+        if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "vnet_hdr_support")) {
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Called from the main thread on the primary for packets
  * arriving over the socket from the primary.
@@ -1289,6 +1306,14 @@ static void colo_compare_complete(UserCreatable *uc, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    if (!s->vnet_hdr &&
+        qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("object"),
+                          colo_vnet_driver_check, NULL, NULL)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "colo compare needs 'vnet_hdr_support' "
+                   "when colo filter modules work on virtio-net");
+        return;
+    }
+
     net_socket_rs_init(&s->pri_rs, compare_pri_rs_finalize, s->vnet_hdr);
     net_socket_rs_init(&s->sec_rs, compare_sec_rs_finalize, s->vnet_hdr);
 
diff --git a/net/colo.c b/net/colo.c
index 3a3e6e89a0..4a03780f45 100644
--- a/net/colo.c
+++ b/net/colo.c
@@ -243,3 +243,23 @@ bool connection_has_tracked(GHashTable *connection_track_table,
 
     return conn ? true : false;
 }
+
+/* check the network driver related to COLO, return 1 if it is virtio-net */
+int vnet_driver_check(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
+{
+    const char *driver_type, *netdev_from_driver;
+    char *netdev_from_filter = (char *)opaque;
+
+    driver_type = qemu_opt_get(opts, "driver");
+    netdev_from_driver = qemu_opt_get(opts, "netdev");
+
+    if (!driver_type || !netdev_from_driver || !netdev_from_filter) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (g_str_has_prefix(driver_type, "virtio-net") &&
+        strcmp(netdev_from_driver, netdev_from_filter) == 0) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/net/colo.h b/net/colo.h
index d91cd245c4..d401fc76b6 100644
--- a/net/colo.h
+++ b/net/colo.h
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
 #include "qemu/jhash.h"
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
 #include "net/eth.h"
+#include "qemu/option.h"
+#include "qemu/option_int.h"
+#include "qemu/config-file.h"
 
 #define HASHTABLE_MAX_SIZE 16384
 
@@ -104,5 +107,6 @@ Packet *packet_new(const void *data, int size, int vnet_hdr_len);
 Packet *packet_new_nocopy(void *data, int size, int vnet_hdr_len);
 void packet_destroy(void *opaque, void *user_data);
 void packet_destroy_partial(void *opaque, void *user_data);
+int vnet_driver_check(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 
 #endif /* NET_COLO_H */
diff --git a/net/filter-mirror.c b/net/filter-mirror.c
index f20240cc9f..b8b3f2fe1d 100644
--- a/net/filter-mirror.c
+++ b/net/filter-mirror.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "net/filter.h"
 #include "net/net.h"
+#include "net/colo.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qom/object.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
@@ -224,6 +225,14 @@ static void filter_mirror_setup(NetFilterState *nf, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    if (!s->vnet_hdr &&
+        qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("device"),
+                         vnet_driver_check, nf->netdev_id, NULL)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "filter mirror needs 'vnet_hdr_support' "
+                   "when network driver is virtio-net");
+        return;
+    }
+
     qemu_chr_fe_init(&s->chr_out, chr, errp);
 }
 
@@ -252,6 +261,14 @@ static void filter_redirector_setup(NetFilterState *nf, Error **errp)
         }
     }
 
+    if (!s->vnet_hdr &&
+        qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("device"),
+                         vnet_driver_check, nf->netdev_id, NULL)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "filter redirector needs 'vnet_hdr_support' "
+                   "when network driver is virtio-net");
+        return;
+    }
+
     net_socket_rs_init(&s->rs, redirector_rs_finalize, s->vnet_hdr);
 
     if (s->indev) {
diff --git a/net/filter-rewriter.c b/net/filter-rewriter.c
index cb3a96cde1..0e84eac1f8 100644
--- a/net/filter-rewriter.c
+++ b/net/filter-rewriter.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "colo.h"
 #include "net/filter.h"
 #include "net/net.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qom/object.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
@@ -388,6 +389,14 @@ static void colo_rewriter_setup(NetFilterState *nf, Error **errp)
 {
     RewriterState *s = FILTER_REWRITER(nf);
 
+    if (!s->vnet_hdr &&
+        qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("device"),
+                         vnet_driver_check, nf->netdev_id, NULL)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "filter rewriter needs 'vnet_hdr_support' "
+                   "when network driver is virtio-net");
+        return;
+    }
+
     s->connection_track_table = g_hash_table_new_full(connection_key_hash,
                                                       connection_key_equal,
                                                       g_free,
