diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-udev-device.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-udev-device.c
index 7f77f89f9..b4e708f3a 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-udev-device.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-udev-device.c
@@ -464,13 +464,28 @@ fu_udev_device_set_dev (FuUdevDevice *self, GUdevDevice *udev_device)
 	FuUdevDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
 #ifdef HAVE_GUDEV
 	const gchar *summary;
-	g_autoptr(GUdevDevice) parent = NULL;
 #endif
 
 	g_return_if_fail (FU_IS_UDEV_DEVICE (self));
 
-	/* set new device */
+#ifdef HAVE_GUDEV
+	/* the net subsystem is not a real hardware class */
+	if (udev_device != NULL &&
+	    g_strcmp0 (g_udev_device_get_subsystem (udev_device), "net") == 0) {
+		g_autoptr(GUdevDevice) udev_device_phys = NULL;
+		udev_device_phys = g_udev_device_get_parent (udev_device);
+		g_set_object (&priv->udev_device, udev_device_phys);
+		fu_device_set_metadata (FU_DEVICE (self),
+					"ParentSubsystem",
+					g_udev_device_get_subsystem (udev_device));
+	} else {
+		g_set_object (&priv->udev_device, udev_device);
+	}
+#else
 	g_set_object (&priv->udev_device, udev_device);
+#endif
+
+	/* set new device */
 	if (priv->udev_device == NULL)
 		return;
 #ifdef HAVE_GUDEV
@@ -480,6 +495,7 @@ fu_udev_device_set_dev (FuUdevDevice *self, GUdevDevice *udev_device)
 	/* try to get one line summary */
 	summary = g_udev_device_get_sysfs_attr (priv->udev_device, "description");
 	if (summary == NULL) {
+		g_autoptr(GUdevDevice) parent = NULL;
 		parent = g_udev_device_get_parent (priv->udev_device);
 		if (parent != NULL)
 			summary = g_udev_device_get_sysfs_attr (parent, "description");