diff --git a/sys/net/route/nhop_ctl.c b/sys/net/route/nhop_ctl.c
--- a/sys/net/route/nhop_ctl.c
+++ b/sys/net/route/nhop_ctl.c
@@ -753,7 +753,14 @@
 bool
 nhop_set_gw(struct nhop_object *nh, const struct sockaddr *gw, bool is_gw)
 {
-	if (gw->sa_len > sizeof(nh->gw_buf)) {
+	unsigned char sa_len;
+
+	if (gw->sa_family != AF_LINK)
+		sa_len = gw->sa_len;
+	else
+		sa_len = sizeof(struct sockaddr_dl_short);
+
+	if (sa_len > sizeof(nh->gw_buf)) {
 		FIB_NH_LOG(LOG_DEBUG, nh, "nhop SA size too big: AF %d len %u",
 		    gw->sa_family, gw->sa_len);
 		return (false);
@@ -766,8 +773,11 @@
 		return (false);
 	}
 
-	memcpy(&nh->gw_sa, gw, gw->sa_len);
-	memset(&nh->gw_buf[gw->sa_len], 0, sizeof(nh->gw_buf) - gw->sa_len);
+	memcpy(&nh->gw_sa, gw, sa_len);
+	memset(&nh->gw_buf[sa_len], 0, sizeof(nh->gw_buf) - sa_len);
+
+	if (gw->sa_family == AF_LINK)
+		nh->gwl_sa.sdl_len = sa_len;
 
 	if (is_gw) {
 		nh->nh_flags |= NHF_GATEWAY;