diff --git a/instances/jobs.py b/instances/jobs.py
index b654d267..76c5b320 100644
--- a/instances/jobs.py
+++ b/instances/jobs.py
@@ -738,7 +738,8 @@ class CreateInstance(Kind):
     def normalize(self, raw):
         # what the API leaves out means what create_instance did by default
         params = {"template": "", "images": "", "firmware": "", "net_model": "virtio", "add_cdrom": "sata",
-                  "add_input": "default", "meta_prealloc": False, "hdd_size": 0, "cloud_init": False, "tpm": False}
+                  "add_input": "default", "meta_prealloc": False, "hdd_size": 0, "cloud_init": False, "tpm": False,
+                  "mac": "", "nwfilter": ""}
         params.update({k: v for k, v in raw.items() if k not in ("submission_key", "create", "csrfmiddlewaretoken")})
         params.update(compute=int(raw["compute"]), devices=[list(d) for d in raw.get("devices", [])])
         if params["firmware"] == "UEFI Secure Boot" and "q35" not in params["machine"]:
diff --git a/instances/tests/test_create_job.py b/instances/tests/test_create_job.py
index 46d7ebea..1b44dd5f 100644
--- a/instances/tests/test_create_job.py
+++ b/instances/tests/test_create_job.py
@@ -131,3 +131,15 @@ class CreateJobTestCase(TransactionTestCase):
         op.user.save()
         with self.assertRaises(PermissionDenied):
             CreateInstance().precheck(op, None)
+
+    def test_the_api_takes_a_body_without_a_mac_or_a_network_filter(self):
+        body = {k: v for k, v in BODY.items() if k not in ("mac", "nwfilter")}
+        response = self.client.post(f"/api/v1/computes/{self.compute.pk}/instances/create/x86_64/q35/", body,
+                                    content_type="application/json")
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 202)
+        op = Operation.objects.get()
+        acquire("wvc-test:1:a", "wvc-test")
+        Operation.objects.filter(pk=op.pk).update(state=Operation.RUNNING, worker="wvc-test:1:a")
+        op.refresh_from_db()
+        CreateInstance().run(op, Context(op, SimpleNamespace(identity="wvc-test:1:a")))
+        self.assertEqual(self.conn.create_instance.call_args.kwargs["nwfilter"], "")