diff --git a/hw/net/spapr_llan.c b/hw/net/spapr_llan.c
index 23c47d397c..0ff159bfc0 100644
--- a/hw/net/spapr_llan.c
+++ b/hw/net/spapr_llan.c
@@ -226,6 +226,15 @@ static int spapr_vlan_init(VIOsPAPRDevice *sdev)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static void spapr_vlan_instance_init(Object *obj)
+{
+    VIOsPAPRVLANDevice *dev = VIO_SPAPR_VLAN_DEVICE(obj);
+
+    device_add_bootindex_property(obj, &dev->nicconf.bootindex,
+                                  "bootindex", "",
+                                  DEVICE(dev), NULL);
+}
+
 void spapr_vlan_create(VIOsPAPRBus *bus, NICInfo *nd)
 {
     DeviceState *dev;
@@ -553,6 +562,7 @@ static const TypeInfo spapr_vlan_info = {
     .parent        = TYPE_VIO_SPAPR_DEVICE,
     .instance_size = sizeof(VIOsPAPRVLANDevice),
     .class_init    = spapr_vlan_class_init,
+    .instance_init = spapr_vlan_instance_init,
 };
 
 static void spapr_vlan_register_types(void)