diff --git a/DisplayOptionsPanel.c b/DisplayOptionsPanel.c
index 234df4b68..a73f22d30 100644
--- a/DisplayOptionsPanel.c
+++ b/DisplayOptionsPanel.c
@@ -206,6 +206,9 @@ DisplayOptionsPanel* DisplayOptionsPanel_new(Settings* settings, ScreenManager*
    #ifdef HAVE_LIBHWLOC
    Panel_add(super, (Object*) CheckItem_newByRef("Show topology when selecting affinity by default", &(settings->topologyAffinity)));
    #endif
+   #ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+   Panel_add(super, (Object*) CheckItem_newByRef("Ignore virtual network interfaces to count rx and tx values", &(settings->ignoreVirtualNetworkInterfaces)));
+   #endif
 
    return this;
 }
diff --git a/NetworkIOMeter.c b/NetworkIOMeter.c
index 784c90ac3..7b22d5e2c 100644
--- a/NetworkIOMeter.c
+++ b/NetworkIOMeter.c
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ static void NetworkIOMeter_updateValues(Meter* this) {
 
    /* update only every 500ms to have a sane span for rate calculation */
    if (passedTimeInMs > 500) {
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+      hasNewData = Platform_getNetworkIO(&data, host->settings->ignoreVirtualNetworkInterfaces);
+#else
       hasNewData = Platform_getNetworkIO(&data);
+#endif
       if (!hasNewData) {
          status = RATESTATUS_NODATA;
       } else if (cached_last_update == 0) {
diff --git a/Settings.h b/Settings.h
index 01e808e86..a52ae385a 100644
--- a/Settings.h
+++ b/Settings.h
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ typedef struct Settings_ {
 
    bool changed;
    uint64_t lastUpdate;
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+   bool ignoreVirtualNetworkInterfaces;
+#endif
 } Settings;
 
 #define Settings_cpuId(settings, cpu) ((settings)->countCPUsFromOne ? (cpu)+1 : (cpu))
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6d7752add..a84e780c5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1175,6 +1175,16 @@ if test "$enable_sensors" = yes || test "$my_htop_platform" = freebsd; then
    AC_DEFINE([BUILD_WITH_CPU_TEMP], [1], [Define if CPU temperature option should be enabled.])
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([ignore-virtual-intf],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-ignore-virtual-intf],
+    [Ignore virtual network interfaces in NetworkIO meter [default=no]])],
+  [enable_ignore_virtual_intf=yes],
+  [enable_ignore_virtual_intf=no])
+
+if test "x$enable_ignore_virtual_intf" = "xyes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE([IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF], [1], [Ignore virtual network interfaces])
+fi
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
diff --git a/linux/Platform.c b/linux/Platform.c
index ddaf1324d..4bc40d442 100644
--- a/linux/Platform.c
+++ b/linux/Platform.c
@@ -209,6 +209,14 @@ void Platform_setBindings(Htop_Action* keys) {
    keys[KEY_F(20)] = Platform_actionHigherAutogroupPriority; // Shift-F8
 }
 
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+static bool Platform_isVirtualNetworkInterface(const char* name) {
+   return (strncmp(name, "docker", 6) == 0 || strncmp(name, "veth", 4) == 0 ||
+           strncmp(name, "virbr", 5) == 0 || strncmp(name, "tun", 3) == 0 ||
+           strncmp(name, "tap", 3) == 0 || strncmp(name, "vboxnet", 7) == 0);
+}
+#endif
+
 const MeterClass* const Platform_meterTypes[] = {
    &CPUMeter_class,
    &ClockMeter_class,
@@ -695,7 +703,11 @@ bool Platform_getDiskIO(DiskIOData* data) {
    return true;
 }
 
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+bool Platform_getNetworkIO(NetworkIOData* data, bool ignoreVirtual) {
+#else
 bool Platform_getNetworkIO(NetworkIOData* data) {
+#endif
    FILE* fp = fopen(PROCDIR "/net/dev", "r");
    if (!fp)
       return false;
@@ -712,7 +724,11 @@ bool Platform_getNetworkIO(NetworkIOData* data) {
                              &packetsTransmitted) != 5)
          continue;
 
-      if (String_eq(interfaceName, "lo:"))
+      if (String_eq(interfaceName, "lo:")
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+         || (ignoreVirtual == true && Platform_isVirtualNetworkInterface(interfaceName))
+#endif
+      )
          continue;
 
       data->bytesReceived += bytesReceived;
diff --git a/linux/Platform.h b/linux/Platform.h
index 9867bb13e..71e30e0b7 100644
--- a/linux/Platform.h
+++ b/linux/Platform.h
@@ -85,8 +85,11 @@ void Platform_getPressureStall(const char* file, bool some, double* ten, double*
 void Platform_getFileDescriptors(double* used, double* max);
 
 bool Platform_getDiskIO(DiskIOData* data);
-
+#ifdef IGNORE_VIRTUAL_INTF
+bool Platform_getNetworkIO(NetworkIOData* data, bool ignoreVirtual);
+#else
 bool Platform_getNetworkIO(NetworkIOData* data);
+#endif
 
 void Platform_getBattery(double* percent, ACPresence* isOnAC);