diff --git a/include/kvm/virtio-net.h b/include/kvm/virtio-net.h
index 9800a41..a00b171 100644
--- a/include/kvm/virtio-net.h
+++ b/include/kvm/virtio-net.h
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 #define KVM__VIRTIO_NET_H
 
 struct kvm;
-void virtio_net__init(struct kvm *self, const char *host_ip_addr);
+
+struct virtio_net_parameters {
+	struct kvm *self;
+	const char *host_ip;
+};
+
+void virtio_net__init(const struct virtio_net_parameters *params);
 
 #endif /* KVM__VIRTIO_NET_H */
diff --git a/kvm-run.c b/kvm-run.c
index 118964c..8cbddfc 100644
--- a/kvm-run.c
+++ b/kvm-run.c
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ int kvm_cmd_run(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	static char real_cmdline[2048];
 	int exit_code = 0;
 	int i;
+	struct virtio_net_parameters net_params;
 
 	signal(SIGALRM, handle_sigalrm);
 	signal(SIGQUIT, handle_sigquit);
@@ -310,8 +311,13 @@ int kvm_cmd_run(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (!network)
 		network = DEFAULT_NETWORK;
 
-	if (!strncmp(network, "virtio", 6))
-		virtio_net__init(kvm, host_ip_addr);
+	if (!strncmp(network, "virtio", 6))	{
+		net_params = (struct virtio_net_parameters) {
+			.host_ip = host_ip_addr,
+			.self = kvm
+		};
+		virtio_net__init(&net_params);
+	}
 
 	kvm__start_timer(kvm);
 
diff --git a/virtio-net.c b/virtio-net.c
index 9781b5c..f784472 100644
--- a/virtio-net.c
+++ b/virtio-net.c
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ static struct pci_device_header virtio_net_pci_device = {
 	.irq_line		= VIRTIO_NET_IRQ,
 };
 
-static void virtio_net__tap_init(const char *host_ip_addr)
+static void virtio_net__tap_init(const struct virtio_net_parameters *params)
 {
 	struct ifreq ifr;
 	int sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ static void virtio_net__tap_init(const char *host_ip_addr)
 
 	strncpy(ifr.ifr_name, net_device.tap_name, sizeof(net_device.tap_name));
 
-	sin.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(host_ip_addr);
+	sin.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(params->host_ip);
 	memcpy(&(ifr.ifr_addr), &sin, sizeof(ifr.ifr_addr));
 	ifr.ifr_addr.sa_family = AF_INET;
 
@@ -330,11 +330,11 @@ static void virtio_net__io_thread_init(struct kvm *self)
 	pthread_create(&net_device.io_tx_thread, NULL, virtio_net_tx_thread, (void *)self);
 }
 
-void virtio_net__init(struct kvm *self, const char *host_ip_addr)
+void virtio_net__init(const struct virtio_net_parameters *params)
 {
 	pci__register(&virtio_net_pci_device, PCI_VIRTIO_NET_DEVNUM);
 	ioport__register(IOPORT_VIRTIO_NET, &virtio_net_io_ops, IOPORT_VIRTIO_NET_SIZE);
 
-	virtio_net__tap_init(host_ip_addr);
-	virtio_net__io_thread_init(self);
+	virtio_net__tap_init(params);
+	virtio_net__io_thread_init(params->self);
 }