diff --git a/sys/net/if.c b/sys/net/if.c
index a658384509e..8e5de9493cc 100644
--- a/sys/net/if.c
+++ b/sys/net/if.c
@@ -1423,7 +1423,6 @@ void
 ifa_init(struct ifaddr *ifa)
 {
 
-	mtx_init(&ifa->ifa_mtx, "ifaddr", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	refcount_init(&ifa->ifa_refcnt, 1);
 	ifa->if_data.ifi_datalen = sizeof(ifa->if_data);
 }
@@ -1440,7 +1439,6 @@ ifa_free(struct ifaddr *ifa)
 {
 
 	if (refcount_release(&ifa->ifa_refcnt)) {
-		mtx_destroy(&ifa->ifa_mtx);
 		free(ifa, M_IFADDR);
 	}
 }
@@ -2255,9 +2253,9 @@ ifhwioctl(u_long cmd, struct ifnet *ifp, caddr_t data, struct thread *td)
 		log(LOG_INFO, "%s: changing name to '%s'\n",
 		    ifp->if_xname, new_name);
 
+		IF_ADDR_WLOCK(ifp);
 		strlcpy(ifp->if_xname, new_name, sizeof(ifp->if_xname));
 		ifa = ifp->if_addr;
-		IFA_LOCK(ifa);
 		sdl = (struct sockaddr_dl *)ifa->ifa_addr;
 		namelen = strlen(new_name);
 		onamelen = sdl->sdl_nlen;
@@ -2276,7 +2274,7 @@ ifhwioctl(u_long cmd, struct ifnet *ifp, caddr_t data, struct thread *td)
 		bzero(sdl->sdl_data, onamelen);
 		while (namelen != 0)
 			sdl->sdl_data[--namelen] = 0xff;
-		IFA_UNLOCK(ifa);
+		IF_ADDR_WUNLOCK(ifp);
 
 		EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(ifnet_arrival_event, ifp);
 		/* Announce the return of the interface. */
diff --git a/sys/net/if_var.h b/sys/net/if_var.h
index 677a688e415..ae41aebbe29 100644
--- a/sys/net/if_var.h
+++ b/sys/net/if_var.h
@@ -804,7 +804,6 @@ struct ifaddr {
 	int	ifa_metric;		/* cost of going out this interface */
 	int (*ifa_claim_addr)		/* check if an addr goes to this if */
 		(struct ifaddr *, struct sockaddr *);
-	struct mtx ifa_mtx;
 };
 #define	IFA_ROUTE	RTF_UP		/* route installed */
 #define IFA_RTSELF	RTF_HOST	/* loopback route to self installed */
@@ -813,8 +812,6 @@ struct ifaddr {
 #define	ifa_list	ifa_link
 
 #ifdef _KERNEL
-#define	IFA_LOCK(ifa)		mtx_lock(&(ifa)->ifa_mtx)
-#define	IFA_UNLOCK(ifa)		mtx_unlock(&(ifa)->ifa_mtx)
 
 void	ifa_free(struct ifaddr *ifa);
 void	ifa_init(struct ifaddr *ifa);