diff --git a/include/net/net_linkaddr.h b/include/net/net_linkaddr.h
index 1e96b5219f2..e5b2e1b084f 100644
--- a/include/net/net_linkaddr.h
+++ b/include/net/net_linkaddr.h
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_NET_L2_IEEE802154
+#define NET_LINK_ADDR_MAX_LENGTH 8
+#else
+#define NET_LINK_ADDR_MAX_LENGTH 6
+#endif
+
 /**
  *  @brief Hardware link address structure
  *
@@ -37,27 +43,17 @@ struct net_linkaddr {
  *
  *  Used to hold the link address information. This variant is needed
  *  when we have to store the link layer address.
- *  Note that you cannot cast this to net_linkaddr as they store
- *  different things.
+ *
+ *  Note that you cannot cast this to net_linkaddr as uint8_t * is
+ *  handled differently than uint8_t addr[] and the fields are purposely
+ *  in a different order.
  */
 struct net_linkaddr_storage {
 	/** The real length of the ll address. */
 	uint8_t len;
 
-	union {
-		/** The array of bytes representing the address */
-		uint8_t addr[0];
-
-		struct {
-			/* The integer array allocate total of 8 bytes
-			 * that can hold currently all the supported
-			 * link layer addresses. These int's can be
-			 * used when comparing lladdr instead of using
-			 * memcmp()
-			 */
-			uint32_t storage[2];
-		};
-	};
+	/** The array of bytes representing the address */
+	uint8_t addr[NET_LINK_ADDR_MAX_LENGTH];
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/subsys/net/ip/nbr.c b/subsys/net/ip/nbr.c
index 2f021bcdddf..627a2de308d 100644
--- a/subsys/net/ip/nbr.c
+++ b/subsys/net/ip/nbr.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ int net_nbr_unlink(struct net_nbr *nbr, struct net_linkaddr *lladdr)
 
 	if (!net_neighbor_lladdr[nbr->idx].ref) {
 		memset(net_neighbor_lladdr[nbr->idx].lladdr.addr, 0,
-		       sizeof(net_neighbor_lladdr[nbr->idx].lladdr.storage));
+		       sizeof(net_neighbor_lladdr[nbr->idx].lladdr.addr));
 	}
 
 	nbr->idx = NET_NBR_LLADDR_UNKNOWN;
diff --git a/tests/net/rpl/src/main.c b/tests/net/rpl/src/main.c
index eb2dbc495ef..03be28b14b7 100644
--- a/tests/net/rpl/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/net/rpl/src/main.c
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ static struct in6_addr in6addr_mcast = { { { 0x20, 0x01, 0x0d, 0xb8, 0, 0, 0, 0,
 					     0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0x1 } } };
 
 static struct net_linkaddr_storage lladdr_src_storage = {
-	.storage = { 0x00000102, 0x03040506 },
-	.len = 6
+	.addr = { 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06 },
+	.len = NET_LINK_ADDR_MAX_LENGTH
 };
 static struct net_linkaddr lladdr_src = {
-	.addr = &lladdr_src_storage.addr[0],
-	.len = 6
+	.addr = lladdr_src_storage.addr,
+	.len = NET_LINK_ADDR_MAX_LENGTH
 };
 
 static bool test_failed;