diff --git a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/Kconfig b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/Kconfig
index 82dd969023df..a07734fc0f87 100644
--- a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/Kconfig
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ module-str = Log level for Ethernet L2 layer
 module-help = Enables Ethernet L2 to output debug messages.
 source "subsys/net/Kconfig.template.log_config.net"
 
+config NET_L2_ETHERNET_RESERVE_HEADER
+	bool "Reserve space for Ethernet header in first net_buf in TX"
+	help
+	  If enabled, then reserve space for Ethernet header to the first
+	  net_buf when sending data. The default is still to have layer 2
+	  header in a separate net_buf. In RX side the Ethernet header
+	  is always part of the first net_buf.
+
 config NET_L2_ETHERNET_MGMT
 	bool "Ethernet network management interface"
 	select NET_MGMT
diff --git a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
index 276909a88a47..3f369e983b51 100644
--- a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
+++ b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
@@ -518,27 +518,79 @@ static bool ethernet_fill_in_dst_on_ipv6_mcast(struct net_pkt *pkt,
 #define ethernet_fill_in_dst_on_ipv6_mcast(...) false
 #endif /* CONFIG_NET_IPV6 */
 
+static inline size_t get_reserve_ll_header_size(struct net_if *iface)
+{
+	bool is_vlan = false;
+
+#if defined(CONFIG_NET_VLAN)
+	if (net_if_l2(iface) == &NET_L2_GET_NAME(VIRTUAL)) {
+		iface = net_eth_get_vlan_main(iface);
+		is_vlan = true;
+	}
+#endif
+
+	if (net_if_l2(iface) != &NET_L2_GET_NAME(ETHERNET)) {
+		return 0U;
+	}
+
+	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_L2_ETHERNET_RESERVE_HEADER)) {
+		return 0U;
+	}
+
+	if (is_vlan) {
+		return sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr);
+	} else {
+		return sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr);
+	}
+}
+
 static struct net_buf *ethernet_fill_header(struct ethernet_context *ctx,
 					    struct net_if *iface,
 					    struct net_pkt *pkt,
 					    uint32_t ptype)
 {
+	struct net_if *orig_iface = iface;
 	struct net_buf *hdr_frag;
 	struct net_eth_hdr *hdr;
-	size_t hdr_len = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_VLAN) ?
-			 sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr) :
-			 sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr);
+	size_t reserve_ll_header;
+	size_t hdr_len;
+	bool is_vlan;
+
+	is_vlan = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_VLAN) &&
+		net_eth_is_vlan_enabled(ctx, iface) &&
+		net_pkt_vlan_tag(pkt) != NET_VLAN_TAG_UNSPEC;
+	if (is_vlan) {
+		orig_iface = net_eth_get_vlan_iface(iface, net_pkt_vlan_tag(pkt));
+	}
 
-	hdr_frag = net_pkt_get_frag(pkt, hdr_len, NET_BUF_TIMEOUT);
-	if (!hdr_frag) {
-		return NULL;
+	reserve_ll_header = get_reserve_ll_header_size(orig_iface);
+	if (reserve_ll_header > 0) {
+		hdr_len = reserve_ll_header;
+		hdr_frag = pkt->buffer;
+
+		NET_DBG("Making room for link header %zd bytes", hdr_len);
+
+		/* Make room for the header */
+		net_buf_push(pkt->buffer, hdr_len);
+	} else {
+		hdr_len = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_VLAN) ?
+			sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr) :
+			sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr);
+
+		hdr_frag = net_pkt_get_frag(pkt, hdr_len, NET_BUF_TIMEOUT);
+		if (!hdr_frag) {
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NET_VLAN) &&
-	    net_eth_is_vlan_enabled(ctx, iface) &&
-	    net_pkt_vlan_tag(pkt) != NET_VLAN_TAG_UNSPEC) {
+	if (is_vlan) {
 		struct net_eth_vlan_hdr *hdr_vlan;
 
+		if (reserve_ll_header == 0U) {
+			hdr_len = sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr);
+			net_buf_add(hdr_frag, hdr_len);
+		}
+
 		hdr_vlan = (struct net_eth_vlan_hdr *)(hdr_frag->data);
 
 		if (ptype == htons(NET_ETH_PTYPE_ARP) ||
@@ -554,15 +606,19 @@ static struct net_buf *ethernet_fill_header(struct ethernet_context *ctx,
 		hdr_vlan->type = ptype;
 		hdr_vlan->vlan.tpid = htons(NET_ETH_PTYPE_VLAN);
 		hdr_vlan->vlan.tci = htons(net_pkt_vlan_tci(pkt));
-		net_buf_add(hdr_frag, sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr));
 
 		print_vlan_ll_addrs(pkt, ntohs(hdr_vlan->type),
 				    net_pkt_vlan_tci(pkt),
-				    hdr_frag->len,
+				    hdr_len,
 				    &hdr_vlan->src, &hdr_vlan->dst, false);
 	} else {
 		hdr = (struct net_eth_hdr *)(hdr_frag->data);
 
+		if (reserve_ll_header == 0U) {
+			hdr_len = sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr);
+			net_buf_add(hdr_frag, hdr_len);
+		}
+
 		if (ptype == htons(NET_ETH_PTYPE_ARP) ||
 		    (!ethernet_fill_in_dst_on_ipv4_mcast(pkt, &hdr->dst) &&
 		     !ethernet_fill_in_dst_on_ipv6_mcast(pkt, &hdr->dst))) {
@@ -574,13 +630,14 @@ static struct net_buf *ethernet_fill_header(struct ethernet_context *ctx,
 		       sizeof(struct net_eth_addr));
 
 		hdr->type = ptype;
-		net_buf_add(hdr_frag, sizeof(struct net_eth_hdr));
 
 		print_ll_addrs(pkt, ntohs(hdr->type),
-			       hdr_frag->len, &hdr->src, &hdr->dst);
+			       hdr_len, &hdr->src, &hdr->dst);
 	}
 
-	net_pkt_frag_insert(pkt, hdr_frag);
+	if (reserve_ll_header == 0U) {
+		net_pkt_frag_insert(pkt, hdr_frag);
+	}
 
 	return hdr_frag;
 }
@@ -605,14 +662,19 @@ static void ethernet_update_tx_stats(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt)
 
 static void ethernet_remove_l2_header(struct net_pkt *pkt)
 {
+	size_t reserve = get_reserve_ll_header_size(net_pkt_iface(pkt));
 	struct net_buf *buf;
 
 	/* Remove the buffer added in ethernet_fill_header() */
-	buf = pkt->buffer;
-	pkt->buffer = buf->frags;
-	buf->frags = NULL;
+	if (reserve == 0U) {
+		buf = pkt->buffer;
+		pkt->buffer = buf->frags;
+		buf->frags = NULL;
 
-	net_pkt_frag_unref(buf);
+		net_pkt_frag_unref(buf);
+	} else {
+		net_buf_pull(pkt->buffer, reserve);
+	}
 }
 
 static int ethernet_send(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt)
@@ -813,8 +875,21 @@ enum net_l2_flags ethernet_flags(struct net_if *iface)
 	return ctx->ethernet_l2_flags;
 }
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_NET_L2_ETHERNET_RESERVE_HEADER)
+static int ethernet_l2_alloc(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt,
+			     size_t size, enum net_ip_protocol proto,
+			     k_timeout_t timeout)
+{
+	return net_pkt_alloc_buffer_with_reserve(pkt, size,
+						 get_reserve_ll_header_size(iface),
+						 proto, timeout);
+}
+#else
+#define ethernet_l2_alloc NULL
+#endif
+
 NET_L2_INIT(ETHERNET_L2, ethernet_recv, ethernet_send, ethernet_enable,
-	    ethernet_flags);
+	    ethernet_flags, ethernet_l2_alloc);
 
 static void carrier_on_off(struct k_work *work)
 {
diff --git a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/vlan.c b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/vlan.c
index 8e6bb7a63d05..a746225ae6bf 100644
--- a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/vlan.c
+++ b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/vlan.c
@@ -610,6 +610,22 @@ static enum net_verdict vlan_interface_recv(struct net_if *iface,
 	return NET_OK;
 }
 
+int vlan_alloc_buffer(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt,
+		      size_t size, uint16_t proto, k_timeout_t timeout)
+{
+	enum virtual_interface_caps caps;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	caps = net_virtual_get_iface_capabilities(iface);
+	if (caps & VIRTUAL_INTERFACE_VLAN) {
+		ret = net_pkt_alloc_buffer_with_reserve(pkt, size,
+							sizeof(struct net_eth_vlan_hdr),
+							proto, timeout);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int vlan_interface_attach(struct net_if *vlan_iface,
 				 struct net_if *iface)
 {
diff --git a/subsys/net/l2/virtual/virtual.c b/subsys/net/l2/virtual/virtual.c
index 583581f7acae..ef58a99a5fa8 100644
--- a/subsys/net/l2/virtual/virtual.c
+++ b/subsys/net/l2/virtual/virtual.c
@@ -165,8 +165,22 @@ enum net_l2_flags virtual_flags(struct net_if *iface)
 	return ctx->virtual_l2_flags;
 }
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_NET_L2_ETHERNET_RESERVE_HEADER) && defined(CONFIG_NET_VLAN)
+extern int vlan_alloc_buffer(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt,
+			     size_t size, uint16_t proto, k_timeout_t timeout);
+
+static int virtual_l2_alloc(struct net_if *iface, struct net_pkt *pkt,
+			    size_t size, enum net_ip_protocol proto,
+			    k_timeout_t timeout)
+{
+	return vlan_alloc_buffer(iface, pkt, size, proto, timeout);
+}
+#else
+#define virtual_l2_alloc NULL
+#endif
+
 NET_L2_INIT(VIRTUAL_L2, virtual_recv, virtual_send, virtual_enable,
-	    virtual_flags);
+	    virtual_flags, virtual_l2_alloc);
 
 static void random_linkaddr(uint8_t *linkaddr, size_t len)
 {