diff --git a/sys/kern/uipc_mbuf.c b/sys/kern/uipc_mbuf.c
index b77d476f35b..c0c467c3e12 100644
--- a/sys/kern/uipc_mbuf.c
+++ b/sys/kern/uipc_mbuf.c
@@ -420,6 +420,17 @@ mb_dupcl(struct mbuf *n, struct mbuf *m)
 	n->m_flags |= m->m_flags & M_RDONLY;
 }
 
+void
+m_demote_pkthdr(struct mbuf *m)
+{
+
+	M_ASSERTPKTHDR(m);
+
+	m_tag_delete_chain(m, NULL);
+	m->m_flags &= ~M_PKTHDR;
+	bzero(&m->m_pkthdr, sizeof(struct pkthdr));
+}
+
 /*
  * Clean up mbuf (chain) from any tags and packet headers.
  * If "all" is set then the first mbuf in the chain will be
@@ -433,11 +444,8 @@ m_demote(struct mbuf *m0, int all, int flags)
 	for (m = all ? m0 : m0->m_next; m != NULL; m = m->m_next) {
 		KASSERT(m->m_nextpkt == NULL, ("%s: m_nextpkt in m %p, m0 %p",
 		    __func__, m, m0));
-		if (m->m_flags & M_PKTHDR) {
-			m_tag_delete_chain(m, NULL);
-			m->m_flags &= ~M_PKTHDR;
-			bzero(&m->m_pkthdr, sizeof(struct pkthdr));
-		}
+		if (m->m_flags & M_PKTHDR)
+			m_demote_pkthdr(m);
 		m->m_flags = m->m_flags & (M_EXT | M_RDONLY | M_NOFREE | flags);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sys/netinet/tcp_lro.c b/sys/netinet/tcp_lro.c
index 63a6bbafc87..83ab2e2072d 100644
--- a/sys/netinet/tcp_lro.c
+++ b/sys/netinet/tcp_lro.c
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ tcp_lro_rx(struct lro_ctrl *lc, struct mbuf *m, uint32_t csum)
 		 * append new segment to existing mbuf chain.
 		 */
 		m_adj(m, m->m_pkthdr.len - tcp_data_len);
-		m->m_flags &= ~M_PKTHDR;
+		m_demote_pkthdr(m);
 
 		le->m_tail->m_next = m;
 		le->m_tail = m_last(m);
diff --git a/sys/sys/mbuf.h b/sys/sys/mbuf.h
index ab0654774be..3d5a7c1c442 100644
--- a/sys/sys/mbuf.h
+++ b/sys/sys/mbuf.h
@@ -959,6 +959,7 @@ struct mbuf	*m_copypacket(struct mbuf *, int);
 void		 m_copy_pkthdr(struct mbuf *, struct mbuf *);
 struct mbuf	*m_copyup(struct mbuf *, int, int);
 struct mbuf	*m_defrag(struct mbuf *, int);
+void		 m_demote_pkthdr(struct mbuf *);
 void		 m_demote(struct mbuf *, int, int);
 struct mbuf	*m_devget(char *, int, int, struct ifnet *,
 		    void (*)(char *, caddr_t, u_int));