diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index d101e4d904ba..36e43bd422f8 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -1483,8 +1483,7 @@ enum netdev_priv_flags {
  * 	@perm_addr:		Permanent hw address
  * 	@addr_assign_type:	Hw address assignment type
  * 	@addr_len:		Hardware address length
- * 	@neigh_priv_len;	Used in neigh_alloc(),
- * 				initialized only in atm/clip.c
+ *	@neigh_priv_len:	Used in neigh_alloc()
  * 	@dev_id:		Used to differentiate devices that share
  * 				the same link layer address
  * 	@dev_port:		Used to differentiate devices that share
diff --git a/include/net/6lowpan.h b/include/net/6lowpan.h
index da84cf920b78..2d9b9d39221e 100644
--- a/include/net/6lowpan.h
+++ b/include/net/6lowpan.h
@@ -141,6 +141,16 @@ struct lowpan_dev {
 	u8 priv[0] __aligned(sizeof(void *));
 };
 
+struct lowpan_802154_neigh {
+	__le16 short_addr;
+};
+
+static inline
+struct lowpan_802154_neigh *lowpan_802154_neigh(void *neigh_priv)
+{
+	return neigh_priv;
+}
+
 static inline
 struct lowpan_dev *lowpan_dev(const struct net_device *dev)
 {
diff --git a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan/core.c b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan/core.c
index 4e2b30894224..8c004a0c8d64 100644
--- a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan/core.c
+++ b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan/core.c
@@ -81,11 +81,21 @@ static int lowpan_stop(struct net_device *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int lowpan_neigh_construct(struct neighbour *n)
+{
+	struct lowpan_802154_neigh *neigh = lowpan_802154_neigh(neighbour_priv(n));
+
+	/* default no short_addr is available for a neighbour */
+	neigh->short_addr = cpu_to_le16(IEEE802154_ADDR_SHORT_UNSPEC);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static const struct net_device_ops lowpan_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_init		= lowpan_dev_init,
 	.ndo_start_xmit		= lowpan_xmit,
 	.ndo_open		= lowpan_open,
 	.ndo_stop		= lowpan_stop,
+	.ndo_neigh_construct    = lowpan_neigh_construct,
 };
 
 static void lowpan_setup(struct net_device *ldev)
@@ -150,6 +160,8 @@ static int lowpan_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *ldev,
 				wdev->needed_headroom;
 	ldev->needed_tailroom = wdev->needed_tailroom;
 
+	ldev->neigh_priv_len = sizeof(struct lowpan_802154_neigh);
+
 	ret = lowpan_register_netdevice(ldev, LOWPAN_LLTYPE_IEEE802154);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_put(wdev);