diff --git a/src/core/ipv4/ip.c b/src/core/ipv4/ip.c
index 3b07b45b..8e1a8370 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv4/ip.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv4/ip.c
@@ -859,9 +859,9 @@ ip_output_hinted(struct pbuf *p, ip_addr_t *src, ip_addr_t *dest,
     return ERR_RTE;
   }
 
-  netif->addr_hint = addr_hint;
+  NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, addr_hint);
   err = ip_output_if(p, src, dest, ttl, tos, proto, netif);
-  netif->addr_hint = NULL;
+  NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
 
   return err;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/ipv6/ip6.c b/src/core/ipv6/ip6.c
index b945fc5d..ad59b725 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv6/ip6.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv6/ip6.c
@@ -341,9 +341,9 @@ ip_output_hinted(struct pbuf *p, struct ip_addr *src, struct ip_addr *dest,
     return ERR_RTE;
   }
 
-  netif->addr_hint = addr_hint;
+  LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT(netif, addr_hint);
   err = ip_output_if(p, src, dest, ttl, tos, proto, netif);
-  netif->addr_hint = NULL;
+  LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
 
   return err;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/netif.c b/src/core/netif.c
index 07908cc5..4a02e77f 100644
--- a/src/core/netif.c
+++ b/src/core/netif.c
@@ -173,9 +173,7 @@ netif_add(struct netif *netif, ip_addr_t *ipaddr, ip_addr_t *netmask,
   netif->state = state;
   netif->num = netif_num++;
   netif->input = input;
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-  netif->addr_hint = NULL;
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+  NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
 #if ENABLE_LOOPBACK && LWIP_LOOPBACK_MAX_PBUFS
   netif->loop_cnt_current = 0;
 #endif /* ENABLE_LOOPBACK && LWIP_LOOPBACK_MAX_PBUFS */
diff --git a/src/core/raw.c b/src/core/raw.c
index 9fcb1003..a245cc55 100644
--- a/src/core/raw.c
+++ b/src/core/raw.c
@@ -263,13 +263,9 @@ raw_sendto(struct raw_pcb *pcb, struct pbuf *p, ip_addr_t *ipaddr)
     src_ip = &(pcb->local_ip);
   }
 
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-  netif->addr_hint = &(pcb->addr_hint);
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+  NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, &pcb->addr_hint);
   err = ip_output_if (q, src_ip, ipaddr, pcb->ttl, pcb->tos, pcb->protocol, netif);
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-  netif->addr_hint = NULL;
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+  NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
 
   /* did we chain a header earlier? */
   if (q != p) {
diff --git a/src/core/udp.c b/src/core/udp.c
index f45dcae0..96d67e00 100644
--- a/src/core/udp.c
+++ b/src/core/udp.c
@@ -689,13 +689,9 @@ udp_sendto_if_chksum(struct udp_pcb *pcb, struct pbuf *p, ip_addr_t *dst_ip,
 #endif /* CHECKSUM_GEN_UDP */
     /* output to IP */
     LWIP_DEBUGF(UDP_DEBUG, ("udp_send: ip_output_if (,,,,IP_PROTO_UDPLITE,)\n"));
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-    netif->addr_hint = &(pcb->addr_hint);
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+    NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, &pcb->addr_hint);
     err = ip_output_if(q, src_ip, dst_ip, pcb->ttl, pcb->tos, IP_PROTO_UDPLITE, netif);
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-    netif->addr_hint = NULL;
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+    NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
   } else
 #endif /* LWIP_UDPLITE */
   {      /* UDP */
@@ -728,13 +724,9 @@ udp_sendto_if_chksum(struct udp_pcb *pcb, struct pbuf *p, ip_addr_t *dst_ip,
     LWIP_DEBUGF(UDP_DEBUG, ("udp_send: UDP checksum 0x%04"X16_F"\n", udphdr->chksum));
     LWIP_DEBUGF(UDP_DEBUG, ("udp_send: ip_output_if (,,,,IP_PROTO_UDP,)\n"));
     /* output to IP */
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-    netif->addr_hint = &(pcb->addr_hint);
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+    NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, &pcb->addr_hint);
     err = ip_output_if(q, src_ip, dst_ip, pcb->ttl, pcb->tos, IP_PROTO_UDP, netif);
-#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
-    netif->addr_hint = NULL;
-#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT*/
+    NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, NULL);
   }
   /* TODO: must this be increased even if error occured? */
   snmp_inc_udpoutdatagrams();
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/netif.h b/src/include/lwip/netif.h
index fbd72849..f7e49374 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/netif.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/netif.h
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ void netif_poll_all(void);
 #endif /* !LWIP_NETIF_LOOPBACK_MULTITHREADING */
 #endif /* ENABLE_LOOPBACK */
 
+#if LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT
+#define NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, hint) ((netif)->addr_hint = (hint))
+#else /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT */
+#define NETIF_SET_HWADDRHINT(netif, hint)
+#endif /* LWIP_NETIF_HWADDRHINT */
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif