diff --git a/subsys/net/ip/l2/ethernet/arp.c b/subsys/net/ip/l2/ethernet/arp.c
index ea4f2cb0039..9401b9e07bf 100644
--- a/subsys/net/ip/l2/ethernet/arp.c
+++ b/subsys/net/ip/l2/ethernet/arp.c
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@ static inline struct net_pkt *prepare_arp(struct net_if *iface,
 
 struct net_pkt *net_arp_prepare(struct net_pkt *pkt)
 {
-	struct ethernet_context *ctx = net_if_l2_data(net_pkt_iface(pkt));
 	struct arp_entry *entry, *free_entry = NULL, *non_pending = NULL;
+	struct ethernet_context *ctx;
 	struct net_buf *frag;
 	struct net_linkaddr *ll;
 	struct net_eth_hdr *hdr;
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ struct net_pkt *net_arp_prepare(struct net_pkt *pkt)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	ctx = net_if_l2_data(net_pkt_iface(pkt));
+
 	if (net_pkt_ll_reserve(pkt) != sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr)
 #if defined(CONFIG_NET_VLAN)
 	    && net_pkt_ll_reserve(pkt) != sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr)