diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3.h b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3.h
index 498fe9af2cdb..cf834cdd0d2c 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3.h
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3.h
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ struct qeth_ipaddr {
 	} u;
 };
 
+static inline void qeth_l3_init_ipaddr(struct qeth_ipaddr *addr,
+				       enum qeth_ip_types type,
+				       enum qeth_prot_versions proto)
+{
+	memset(addr, 0, sizeof(*addr));
+	addr->type = type;
+	addr->proto = proto;
+	addr->disp_flag = QETH_DISP_ADDR_DO_NOTHING;
+}
+
 static inline bool qeth_l3_addr_match_ip(struct qeth_ipaddr *a1,
 					 struct qeth_ipaddr *a2)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
index 17daf2047f7b..2ff8dd6d0a3e 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ void qeth_l3_ipaddr_to_string(enum qeth_prot_versions proto, const __u8 *addr,
 		qeth_l3_ipaddr6_to_string(addr, buf);
 }
 
+struct qeth_ipaddr *qeth_l3_get_addr_buffer(enum qeth_prot_versions prot)
+{
+	struct qeth_ipaddr *addr = kmalloc(sizeof(*addr), GFP_ATOMIC);
+
+	if (addr)
+		qeth_l3_init_ipaddr(addr, QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL, prot);
+	return addr;
+}
+
 static struct qeth_ipaddr *qeth_l3_find_addr_by_ip(struct qeth_card *card,
 						   struct qeth_ipaddr *query)
 {
@@ -251,23 +260,6 @@ int qeth_l3_add_ip(struct qeth_card *card, struct qeth_ipaddr *tmp_addr)
 	return rc;
 }
 
-
-struct qeth_ipaddr *qeth_l3_get_addr_buffer(
-				enum qeth_prot_versions prot)
-{
-	struct qeth_ipaddr *addr;
-
-	addr = kzalloc(sizeof(struct qeth_ipaddr), GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (!addr)
-		return NULL;
-
-	addr->type = QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL;
-	addr->disp_flag = QETH_DISP_ADDR_DO_NOTHING;
-	addr->proto = prot;
-
-	return addr;
-}
-
 static void qeth_l3_clear_ip_htable(struct qeth_card *card, int recover)
 {
 	struct qeth_ipaddr *addr;
@@ -3120,13 +3112,33 @@ struct qeth_discipline qeth_l3_discipline = {
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(qeth_l3_discipline);
 
+static int qeth_l3_handle_ip_event(struct qeth_card *card,
+				   struct qeth_ipaddr *addr,
+				   unsigned long event)
+{
+	switch (event) {
+	case NETDEV_UP:
+		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
+		qeth_l3_add_ip(card, addr);
+		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
+		return NOTIFY_OK;
+	case NETDEV_DOWN:
+		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
+		qeth_l3_delete_ip(card, addr);
+		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
+		return NOTIFY_OK;
+	default:
+		return NOTIFY_DONE;
+	}
+}
+
 static int qeth_l3_ip_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 			    unsigned long event, void *ptr)
 {
 
 	struct in_ifaddr *ifa = (struct in_ifaddr *)ptr;
 	struct net_device *dev = (struct net_device *)ifa->ifa_dev->dev;
-	struct qeth_ipaddr *addr;
+	struct qeth_ipaddr addr;
 	struct qeth_card *card;
 
 	if (dev_net(dev) != &init_net)
@@ -3137,29 +3149,11 @@ static int qeth_l3_ip_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 		return NOTIFY_DONE;
 	QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 3, "ipevent");
 
-	addr = qeth_l3_get_addr_buffer(QETH_PROT_IPV4);
-	if (addr) {
-		addr->u.a4.addr = be32_to_cpu(ifa->ifa_address);
-		addr->u.a4.mask = be32_to_cpu(ifa->ifa_mask);
-		addr->type = QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL;
-	} else
-		return NOTIFY_DONE;
+	qeth_l3_init_ipaddr(&addr, QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL, QETH_PROT_IPV4);
+	addr.u.a4.addr = be32_to_cpu(ifa->ifa_address);
+	addr.u.a4.mask = be32_to_cpu(ifa->ifa_mask);
 
-	switch (event) {
-	case NETDEV_UP:
-		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		qeth_l3_add_ip(card, addr);
-		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		break;
-	case NETDEV_DOWN:
-		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		qeth_l3_delete_ip(card, addr);
-		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		break;
-	}
-
-	kfree(addr);
-	return NOTIFY_DONE;
+	return qeth_l3_handle_ip_event(card, &addr, event);
 }
 
 static struct notifier_block qeth_l3_ip_notifier = {
@@ -3172,7 +3166,7 @@ static int qeth_l3_ip6_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 {
 	struct inet6_ifaddr *ifa = (struct inet6_ifaddr *)ptr;
 	struct net_device *dev = (struct net_device *)ifa->idev->dev;
-	struct qeth_ipaddr *addr;
+	struct qeth_ipaddr addr;
 	struct qeth_card *card;
 
 	card = qeth_l3_get_card_from_dev(dev);
@@ -3182,29 +3176,11 @@ static int qeth_l3_ip6_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 	if (!qeth_is_supported(card, IPA_IPV6))
 		return NOTIFY_DONE;
 
-	addr = qeth_l3_get_addr_buffer(QETH_PROT_IPV6);
-	if (addr) {
-		memcpy(&addr->u.a6.addr, &ifa->addr, sizeof(struct in6_addr));
-		addr->u.a6.pfxlen = ifa->prefix_len;
-		addr->type = QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL;
-	} else
-		return NOTIFY_DONE;
+	qeth_l3_init_ipaddr(&addr, QETH_IP_TYPE_NORMAL, QETH_PROT_IPV6);
+	addr.u.a6.addr = ifa->addr;
+	addr.u.a6.pfxlen = ifa->prefix_len;
 
-	switch (event) {
-	case NETDEV_UP:
-		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		qeth_l3_add_ip(card, addr);
-		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		break;
-	case NETDEV_DOWN:
-		spin_lock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		qeth_l3_delete_ip(card, addr);
-		spin_unlock_bh(&card->ip_lock);
-		break;
-	}
-
-	kfree(addr);
-	return NOTIFY_DONE;
+	return qeth_l3_handle_ip_event(card, &addr, event);
 }
 
 static struct notifier_block qeth_l3_ip6_notifier = {