diff --git a/board/freescale/qemu-ppce500/qemu-ppce500.c b/board/freescale/qemu-ppce500/qemu-ppce500.c
index 79a698671c..9c30c12d4f 100644
--- a/board/freescale/qemu-ppce500/qemu-ppce500.c
+++ b/board/freescale/qemu-ppce500/qemu-ppce500.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include <fdtdec.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <malloc.h>
+#include <virtio_types.h>
+#include <virtio.h>
 
 DECLARE_GLOBAL_DATA_PTR;
 
@@ -130,6 +132,12 @@ int misc_init_r(void)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	/*
+	 * Make sure virtio bus is enumerated so that peripherals
+	 * on the virtio bus can be discovered by their drivers.
+	 */
+	virtio_init();
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/configs/qemu-ppce500_defconfig b/configs/qemu-ppce500_defconfig
index 918739b615..202e97e8ec 100644
--- a/configs/qemu-ppce500_defconfig
+++ b/configs/qemu-ppce500_defconfig
@@ -33,5 +33,7 @@ CONFIG_DM_PCI=y
 CONFIG_PCI_MPC85XX=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
 CONFIG_SYS_NS16550=y
+CONFIG_VIRTIO_PCI=y
+CONFIG_VIRTIO_NET=y
 CONFIG_ADDR_MAP=y
 CONFIG_PANIC_HANG=y