diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index d53352f39c..06004ab2e2 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ int virNetDevValidateConfig(const char *ifname,
 }
 #else /* ! HAVE_STRUCT_IFREQ */
 int virNetDevValidateConfig(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                            const unsigned char *macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                            const virMacAddrPtr macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                             int ifindex ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     virReportSystemError(ENOSYS, "%s",
@@ -1663,7 +1663,7 @@ virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 int
 virNetDevReplaceNetConfig(char *linkdev ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                           int vf ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                          const unsigned char *macaddress ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                          const virMacAddrPtr macaddress ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                           int vlanid ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                           char *stateDir ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/virnetlink.c b/src/util/virnetlink.c
index 0e4d76bf8d..2772d9bc2e 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetlink.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetlink.c
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ int virNetlinkEventServiceLocalPid(void)
 int virNetlinkEventAddClient(virNetlinkEventHandleCallback handleCB ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                              virNetlinkEventRemoveCallback removeCB ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                              void *opaque ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                             const unsigned char *macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+                             const virMacAddrPtr macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     netlinkError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _(unsupported));
     return -1;
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ int virNetlinkEventAddClient(virNetlinkEventHandleCallback handleCB ATTRIBUTE_UN
  * virNetlinkEventRemoveClient: unregister a callback from a netlink monitor
  */
 int virNetlinkEventRemoveClient(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                                const unsigned char *macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+                                const virMacAddrPtr macaddr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     netlinkError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _(unsupported));
     return -1;