diff --git a/qubes/vm/__init__.py b/qubes/vm/__init__.py
index 20ce7456..d75d7c03 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/__init__.py
@@ -271,27 +271,6 @@ class BaseVM(qubes.PropertyHolder):
     # xml serialising methods
     #
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def lvxml_net_dev(ip, mac, backend):
-        '''Return ``<interface>`` node for libvirt xml.
-
-        This was previously _format_net_dev
-
-        :param str ip: IP address of the frontend
-        :param str mac: MAC (Ethernet) address of the frontend
-        :param qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM backend: Backend domain
-        :rtype: lxml.etree._Element
-        '''
-
-        interface = lxml.etree.Element('interface', type='ethernet')
-        interface.append(lxml.etree.Element('mac', address=mac))
-        interface.append(lxml.etree.Element('ip', address=ip))
-        interface.append(lxml.etree.Element('backenddomain', name=backend.name))
-        interface.append(lxml.etree.Element('script', path="vif-route-qubes"))
-
-        return interface
-
-
     def create_config_file(self, file_path=None, prepare_dvm=False):
         '''Create libvirt's XML domain config file
 
diff --git a/qubes/vm/mix/net.py b/qubes/vm/mix/net.py
index b3b08c66..c537b464 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/mix/net.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/mix/net.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 import re
 
-import lxml.etree
 import libvirt
 
 import qubes
@@ -204,7 +203,6 @@ class NetVMMixin(qubes.events.Emitter):
                     pass
 
 
-    # TODO maybe this should be other way: backend.devices['net'].attach(self)
     def attach_network(self):
         '''Attach network in this machine to it's netvm.'''
 
@@ -217,8 +215,8 @@ class NetVMMixin(qubes.events.Emitter):
             self.netvm.start()
 
         self.libvirt_domain.attachDevice(
-            lxml.etree.tostring(lxml.etree.ElementTree(
-                self.lvxml_net_dev(self.ip, self.mac, self.netvm))))
+            self.app.env.get_template('libvirt/devices/net.xml').render(
+                vm=self))
 
 
     def detach_network(self):
@@ -228,9 +226,9 @@ class NetVMMixin(qubes.events.Emitter):
             raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotRunningError(self)
         assert self.netvm is not None
 
-        self.libvirt_domain.detachDevice(
-            lxml.etree.tostring(lxml.etree.ElementTree(
-                self.lvxml_net_dev(self.ip, self.mac, self.netvm))))
+        self.libvirt_domain.attachDevice(
+            self.app.env.get_template('libvirt/devices/net.xml').render(
+                vm=self))
 
 
     def is_networked(self):
diff --git a/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec b/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
index 18e5e7ef..bc4a6ef8 100644
--- a/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
+++ b/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ fi
 %attr(2770,root,qubes) %dir /var/lib/qubes/vm-kernels
 /usr/share/qubes/templates/libvirt/xen.xml
 /usr/share/qubes/templates/libvirt/devices/pci.xml
+/usr/share/qubes/templates/libvirt/devices/net.xml
 /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/qubes.conf
 /usr/lib/qubes/qubes-prepare-saved-domain.sh
 /usr/lib/qubes/qubes-update-dispvm-savefile-with-progress.sh
diff --git a/templates/libvirt/devices/net.xml b/templates/libvirt/devices/net.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd51f714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/libvirt/devices/net.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<interface type="ethernet">
+    <mac address="{{ vm.mac }}" />
+    <ip address="
+        {%- if prepare_dvm -%}
+            %IP%
+        {%- else -%}
+            {{ vm.ip }}
+        {%- endif %}" />
+    <backenddomain name="{{ vm.netvm.name }}" />
+    <script path="vif-route-qubes"></script>
+</interface>
+
+{# vim : set ft=jinja ts=4 sts=4 sw=4 et : #}
diff --git a/templates/libvirt/xen.xml b/templates/libvirt/xen.xml
index dfdffa09..9547e93b 100644
--- a/templates/libvirt/xen.xml
+++ b/templates/libvirt/xen.xml
@@ -90,17 +90,7 @@
         {% endfor %}
 
         {% if vm.netvm %}
-            <interface type="ethernet">
-                <mac address="{{ vm.mac }}" />
-                <ip address="
-                    {%- if prepare_dvm -%}
-                        %IP%
-                    {%- else -%}
-                        {{ vm.ip }}
-                    {%- endif %}" />
-                <backenddomain name="{{ vm.netvm.name }}" />
-                <script path="vif-route-qubes"></script>
-            </interface>
+            {% include 'libvirt/devices/net.xml' %}
         {% endif %}
 
         {% for device in vm.devices.pci %}