diff --git a/Jellyfin.Networking/Manager/NetworkManager.cs b/Jellyfin.Networking/Manager/NetworkManager.cs
index 8bb97937c3..51fcb6d9a0 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Networking/Manager/NetworkManager.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Networking/Manager/NetworkManager.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Net;
@@ -691,11 +692,11 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Networking.Manager
         /// Checks the string to see if it matches any interface names.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="token">String to check.</param>
-        /// <param name="index">Interface index number.</param>
+        /// <param name="index">Interface index numbers that match.</param>
         /// <returns><c>true</c> if an interface name matches the token, <c>False</c> otherwise.</returns>
-        private bool IsInterface(string token, out int index)
+        private bool TryGetInterfaces(string token, [NotNullWhen(true)] out List<int>? index)
         {
-            index = -1;
+            index = null;
 
             // Is it the name of an interface (windows) eg, Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 1.
             // Null check required here for automated testing.
@@ -712,13 +713,13 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Networking.Manager
                     if ((!partial && string.Equals(interfc, token, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                         || (partial && interfc.StartsWith(token, true, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)))
                     {
-                        index = interfcIndex;
-                        return true;
+                        index ??= new List<int>();
+                        index.Add(interfcIndex);
                     }
                 }
             }
 
-            return false;
+            return index != null;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -730,14 +731,14 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Networking.Manager
         {
             // Is it the name of an interface (windows) eg, Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 1.
             // Null check required here for automated testing.
-            if (IsInterface(token, out int index))
+            if (TryGetInterfaces(token, out var indices))
             {
                 _logger.LogInformation("Interface {Token} used in settings. Using its interface addresses.", token);
 
-                // Replace interface tags with the interface IP's.
+                // Replace all the interface tags with the interface IP's.
                 foreach (IPNetAddress iface in _interfaceAddresses)
                 {
-                    if (Math.Abs(iface.Tag) == index
+                    if (indices.Contains(Math.Abs(iface.Tag))
                         && ((IsIP4Enabled && iface.Address.AddressFamily == AddressFamily.InterNetwork)
                             || (IsIP6Enabled && iface.Address.AddressFamily == AddressFamily.InterNetworkV6)))
                     {
@@ -916,11 +917,19 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Networking.Manager
                 // Add virtual machine interface names to the list of bind exclusions, so that they are auto-excluded.
                 if (config.IgnoreVirtualInterfaces)
                 {
-                    var virtualInterfaceNames = config.VirtualInterfaceNames.Split(',');
-                    var newList = new string[lanAddresses.Length + virtualInterfaceNames.Length];
-                    Array.Copy(lanAddresses, newList, lanAddresses.Length);
-                    Array.Copy(virtualInterfaceNames, 0, newList, lanAddresses.Length, virtualInterfaceNames.Length);
-                    lanAddresses = newList;
+                    // each virtual interface name must be pre-pended with the exclusion symbol !
+                    var virtualInterfaceNames = config.VirtualInterfaceNames.Split(',').Select(p => "!" + p).ToArray();
+                    if (lanAddresses.Length > 0)
+                    {
+                        var newList = new string[lanAddresses.Length + virtualInterfaceNames.Length];
+                        Array.Copy(lanAddresses, newList, lanAddresses.Length);
+                        Array.Copy(virtualInterfaceNames, 0, newList, lanAddresses.Length, virtualInterfaceNames.Length);
+                        lanAddresses = newList;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        lanAddresses = virtualInterfaceNames;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 // Read and parse bind addresses and exclusions, removing ones that don't exist.
diff --git a/tests/Jellyfin.Networking.Tests/NetworkTesting/NetworkParseTests.cs b/tests/Jellyfin.Networking.Tests/NetworkTesting/NetworkParseTests.cs
index b7c1510d27..8d5d4884a6 100644
--- a/tests/Jellyfin.Networking.Tests/NetworkTesting/NetworkParseTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Jellyfin.Networking.Tests/NetworkTesting/NetworkParseTests.cs
@@ -52,15 +52,20 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Networking.Tests
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Checks the ability to ignore interfaces
+        /// Checks the ability to ignore virtual interfaces.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="interfaces">Mock network setup, in the format (IP address, interface index, interface name) | .... </param>
         /// <param name="lan">LAN addresses.</param>
         /// <param name="value">Bind addresses that are excluded.</param>
         [Theory]
+        // All valid
         [InlineData("192.168.1.208/24,-16,eth16|200.200.200.200/24,11,eth11", "192.168.1.0/24;200.200.200.0/24", "[192.168.1.208/24,200.200.200.200/24]")]
+        // eth16 only
         [InlineData("192.168.1.208/24,-16,eth16|200.200.200.200/24,11,eth11", "192.168.1.0/24", "[192.168.1.208/24]")]
-        [InlineData("192.168.1.208/24,-16,vEthernet1|192.168.1.208/24,-16,vEthernet212|200.200.200.200/24,11,eth11", "192.168.1.0/24", "[192.168.1.208/24]")]
+        // All interfaces excluded.
+        [InlineData("192.168.1.208/24,-16,vEthernet1|192.168.2.208/24,-16,vEthernet212|200.200.200.200/24,11,eth11", "192.168.1.0/24", "[]")]
+        // vEthernet1 and vEthernet212 should be excluded.
+        [InlineData("192.168.1.200/24,-20,vEthernet1|192.168.2.208/24,-16,vEthernet212|200.200.200.200/24,11,eth11", "192.168.1.0/24;200.200.200.200/24", "[200.200.200.200/24]")]
         public void IgnoreVirtualInterfaces(string interfaces, string lan, string value)
         {
             var conf = new NetworkConfiguration()