diff --git a/drivers/net/axgbe/Makefile b/drivers/net/axgbe/Makefile
index 72215aedaf55..c2d4336800c0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/axgbe/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/axgbe/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ LIBABIVER := 1
 
 LDLIBS += -lrte_eal -lrte_mbuf -lrte_mempool
 LDLIBS += -lrte_pci -lrte_bus_pci
-LDLIBS += -lrte_ethdev
+LDLIBS += -lrte_ethdev -lrte_net
 
 #
 # all source are stored in SRCS-y
diff --git a/drivers/net/memif/Makefile b/drivers/net/memif/Makefile
index fdbdf3378019..3d92b08f259b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/memif/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/memif/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ CFLAGS += -DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API
 # - rte_mp_reply
 # - rte_mp_request_sync
 LDLIBS += -lrte_eal -lrte_mbuf -lrte_mempool
-LDLIBS += -lrte_ethdev -lrte_kvargs
+LDLIBS += -lrte_ethdev -lrte_kvargs -lrte_net
 LDLIBS += -lrte_hash
 LDLIBS += -lrte_bus_vdev
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_net/Makefile b/lib/librte_net/Makefile
index c3082069ab50..1244c9fd54c9 100644
--- a/lib/librte_net/Makefile
+++ b/lib/librte_net/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ LIBABIVER := 1
 
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_NET) := rte_net.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_NET) += rte_net_crc.c
+SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_NET) += rte_ether.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_NET) += rte_arp.c
 
 # install includes
diff --git a/lib/librte_net/meson.build b/lib/librte_net/meson.build
index 7d66f693cbf3..868a93fd6b6b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_net/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_net/meson.build
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ headers = files('rte_ip.h',
 	'rte_net_crc.h',
 	'rte_mpls.h')
 
-sources = files('rte_arp.c', 'rte_net.c', 'rte_net_crc.c')
+sources = files('rte_arp.c', 'rte_ether.c', 'rte_net.c', 'rte_net_crc.c')
 deps += ['mbuf']
diff --git a/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.c b/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..974fe815b335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation
+ */
+
+#include <rte_ether.h>
+
+void
+rte_eth_random_addr(uint8_t *addr)
+{
+	uint64_t rand = rte_rand();
+	uint8_t *p = (uint8_t *)&rand;
+
+	rte_memcpy(addr, p, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
+	addr[0] &= (uint8_t)~RTE_ETHER_GROUP_ADDR;	/* clear multicast bit */
+	addr[0] |= RTE_ETHER_LOCAL_ADMIN_ADDR;	/* set local assignment bit */
+}
+
+void
+rte_ether_format_addr(char *buf, uint16_t size,
+		      const struct rte_ether_addr *eth_addr)
+{
+	snprintf(buf, size, "%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X",
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[0],
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[1],
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[2],
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[3],
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[4],
+		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[5]);
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.h b/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.h
index 1868cb7077d2..df1a51462a37 100644
--- a/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.h
+++ b/lib/librte_net/rte_ether.h
@@ -207,15 +207,8 @@ static inline int rte_is_valid_assigned_ether_addr(const struct rte_ether_addr *
  * @param addr
  *   A pointer to Ethernet address.
  */
-static inline void rte_eth_random_addr(uint8_t *addr)
-{
-	uint64_t rand = rte_rand();
-	uint8_t *p = (uint8_t *)&rand;
-
-	rte_memcpy(addr, p, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
-	addr[0] &= (uint8_t)~RTE_ETHER_GROUP_ADDR;  /* clear multicast bit */
-	addr[0] |= RTE_ETHER_LOCAL_ADMIN_ADDR;  /* set local assignment bit */
-}
+void
+rte_eth_random_addr(uint8_t *addr);
 
 /**
  * Fast copy an Ethernet address.
@@ -254,19 +247,9 @@ static inline void rte_ether_addr_copy(const struct rte_ether_addr *ea_from,
  * @param eth_addr
  *   A pointer to a ether_addr structure.
  */
-static inline void
+void
 rte_ether_format_addr(char *buf, uint16_t size,
-		  const struct rte_ether_addr *eth_addr)
-{
-	snprintf(buf, size, "%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X",
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[0],
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[1],
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[2],
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[3],
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[4],
-		 eth_addr->addr_bytes[5]);
-}
-
+		      const struct rte_ether_addr *eth_addr);
 /**
  * Ethernet header: Contains the destination address, source address
  * and frame type.
diff --git a/lib/librte_net/rte_net_version.map b/lib/librte_net/rte_net_version.map
index 26c06e7c7ae7..f1e1b84ab491 100644
--- a/lib/librte_net/rte_net_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_net/rte_net_version.map
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ DPDK_17.05 {
 
 } DPDK_16.11;
 
+DPDK_19.08 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eth_random_addr;
+	rte_ether_format_addr;
+} DPDK_17.05;
+
 EXPERIMENTAL {
 	global:
 
