diff --git a/subsys/net/ip/l2/arp.c b/subsys/net/ip/l2/arp.c
index 97abfaf36a3..aaa647d719f 100644
--- a/subsys/net/ip/l2/arp.c
+++ b/subsys/net/ip/l2/arp.c
@@ -222,9 +222,13 @@ struct net_pkt *net_arp_prepare(struct net_pkt *pkt)
 	if (!net_if_ipv4_addr_mask_cmp(net_pkt_iface(pkt),
 				       &NET_IPV4_HDR(pkt)->dst)) {
 		addr = &net_pkt_iface(pkt)->ipv4.gw;
-		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_DEBUG_ARP)
-		    && net_is_ipv4_addr_unspecified(addr)) {
-			NET_ERR("Gateway not set for iface %p", net_pkt_iface(pkt));
+		if (net_is_ipv4_addr_unspecified(addr)) {
+			if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_DEBUG_ARP)) {
+				NET_ERR("Gateway not set for iface %p",
+					net_pkt_iface(pkt));
+			}
+
+			return NULL;
 		}
 	} else {
 		addr = &NET_IPV4_HDR(pkt)->dst;