diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
index e76f2760b0..12b997e477 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
@@ -177,16 +177,12 @@ em_get_dst_port(const struct lcore_conf *qconf, struct rte_mbuf *pkt,
 	return portid;
 }
 
-/*
- * Buffer optimized handling of packets, invoked
- * from main_loop.
- */
 static inline void
-l3fwd_em_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
-		uint16_t portid, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+l3fwd_em_process_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
+			 uint16_t *dst_port, uint16_t portid,
+			 struct lcore_conf *qconf, const uint8_t do_step3)
 {
 	int32_t i, j, pos;
-	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 
 	/*
 	 * Send nb_rx - nb_rx % EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT packets
@@ -233,13 +229,30 @@ l3fwd_em_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 				dst_port[j + i] = em_get_dst_port(qconf,
 						pkts_burst[j + i], portid);
 		}
+
+		for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT && do_step3; i += FWDSTEP)
+			processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j + i], &dst_port[j + i]);
 	}
 
-	for (; j < nb_rx; j++)
+	for (; j < nb_rx; j++) {
 		dst_port[j] = em_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &pkts_burst[j]->port);
+	}
+}
 
-	send_packets_multi(qconf, pkts_burst, dst_port, nb_rx);
+/*
+ * Buffer optimized handling of packets, invoked
+ * from main_loop.
+ */
+static inline void
+l3fwd_em_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst, uint16_t portid,
+		      struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+{
+	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 
+	l3fwd_em_process_packets(nb_rx, pkts_burst, dst_port, portid, qconf, 0);
+	send_packets_multi(qconf, pkts_burst, dst_port, nb_rx);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -260,11 +273,8 @@ l3fwd_em_process_events(int nb_rx, struct rte_event **ev,
 	 */
 	int32_t n = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(nb_rx, EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT);
 
-	for (j = 0; j < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT && j < nb_rx; j++) {
+	for (j = 0; j < nb_rx; j++)
 		pkts_burst[j] = ev[j]->mbuf;
-		rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(pkts_burst[j],
-					       struct rte_ether_hdr *) + 1);
-	}
 
 	for (j = 0; j < n; j += EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT) {
 
@@ -305,7 +315,8 @@ l3fwd_em_process_events(int nb_rx, struct rte_event **ev,
 			}
 			continue;
 		}
-		processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
+		for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT; i += FWDSTEP)
+			processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j + i], &dst_port[j + i]);
 
 		for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT; i++)
 			pkts_burst[j + i]->port = dst_port[j + i];
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_altivec.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_altivec.h
index 0c6852a7bb..adb82f1478 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_altivec.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_altivec.h
@@ -96,11 +96,11 @@ processx4_step2(const struct lcore_conf *qconf,
  * from main_loop.
  */
 static inline void
-l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
-			uint8_t portid, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
+			  uint8_t portid, uint16_t *dst_port,
+			  struct lcore_conf *qconf, const uint8_t do_step3)
 {
 	int32_t j;
-	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 	__vector unsigned int dip[MAX_PKT_BURST / FWDSTEP];
 	uint32_t ipv4_flag[MAX_PKT_BURST / FWDSTEP];
 	const int32_t k = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(nb_rx, FWDSTEP);
@@ -114,22 +114,41 @@ l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 				ipv4_flag[j / FWDSTEP],
 				portid, &pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 
+	if (do_step3)
+		for (j = 0; j != k; j += FWDSTEP)
+			processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
+
 	/* Classify last up to 3 packets one by one */
 	switch (nb_rx % FWDSTEP) {
 	case 3:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 		/* fall-through */
 	case 2:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 		/* fall-through */
 	case 1:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 		/* fall-through */
 	}
+}
+
+static inline void
+l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst, uint8_t portid,
+		       struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+{
+	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 
+	l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(nb_rx, pkts_burst, portid, dst_port, qconf,
+				  0);
 	send_packets_multi(qconf, pkts_burst, dst_port, nb_rx);
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_neon.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_neon.h
index 78ee83b76c..2a68c4c15e 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_neon.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_neon.h
@@ -80,16 +80,12 @@ processx4_step2(const struct lcore_conf *qconf,
 	}
 }
 
-/*
- * Buffer optimized handling of packets, invoked
- * from main_loop.
- */
 static inline void
-l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
-			uint16_t portid, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
+			  uint16_t portid, uint16_t *dst_port,
+			  struct lcore_conf *qconf, const uint8_t do_step3)
 {
 	int32_t i = 0, j = 0;
-	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 	int32x4_t dip;
 	uint32_t ipv4_flag;
 	const int32_t k = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(nb_rx, FWDSTEP);
@@ -100,7 +96,6 @@ l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 			rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(pkts_burst[i],
 							void *));
 		}
-
 		for (j = 0; j != k - FWDSTEP; j += FWDSTEP) {
 			for (i = 0; i < FWDSTEP; i++) {
 				rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(
@@ -111,11 +106,15 @@ l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 			processx4_step1(&pkts_burst[j], &dip, &ipv4_flag);
 			processx4_step2(qconf, dip, ipv4_flag, portid,
 					&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
+			if (do_step3)
+				processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		}
 
 		processx4_step1(&pkts_burst[j], &dip, &ipv4_flag);
 		processx4_step2(qconf, dip, ipv4_flag, portid, &pkts_burst[j],
 				&dst_port[j]);
+		if (do_step3)
+			processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 
 		j += FWDSTEP;
 	}
@@ -138,26 +137,44 @@ l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 							void *));
 			j++;
 		}
-
 		j -= m;
 		/* Classify last up to 3 packets one by one */
 		switch (m) {
 		case 3:
 			dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j],
 						       portid);
+			if (do_step3)
+				process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 			j++;
 			/* fallthrough */
 		case 2:
 			dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j],
 						       portid);
+			if (do_step3)
+				process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 			j++;
 			/* fallthrough */
 		case 1:
 			dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j],
 						       portid);
+			if (do_step3)
+				process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		}
 	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Buffer optimized handling of packets, invoked
+ * from main_loop.
+ */
+static inline void
+l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst, uint16_t portid,
+		       struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+{
+	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 
+	l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(nb_rx, pkts_burst, portid, dst_port, qconf,
+				  0);
 	send_packets_multi(qconf, pkts_burst, dst_port, nb_rx);
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_sse.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_sse.h
index 3f637a23d1..db15030320 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_sse.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_lpm_sse.h
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ processx4_step2(const struct lcore_conf *qconf,
  * from main_loop.
  */
 static inline void
-l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
-			uint16_t portid, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
+			  uint16_t portid, uint16_t *dst_port,
+			  struct lcore_conf *qconf, const uint8_t do_step3)
 {
 	int32_t j;
-	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 	__m128i dip[MAX_PKT_BURST / FWDSTEP];
 	uint32_t ipv4_flag[MAX_PKT_BURST / FWDSTEP];
 	const int32_t k = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(nb_rx, FWDSTEP);
@@ -99,21 +99,40 @@ l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst,
 		processx4_step2(qconf, dip[j / FWDSTEP],
 				ipv4_flag[j / FWDSTEP], portid, &pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 
+	if (do_step3)
+		for (j = 0; j != k; j += FWDSTEP)
+			processx4_step3(&pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
+
 	/* Classify last up to 3 packets one by one */
 	switch (nb_rx % FWDSTEP) {
 	case 3:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 		/* fall-through */
 	case 2:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 		/* fall-through */
 	case 1:
 		dst_port[j] = lpm_get_dst_port(qconf, pkts_burst[j], portid);
+		if (do_step3)
+			process_packet(pkts_burst[j], &dst_port[j]);
 		j++;
 	}
+}
+
+static inline void
+l3fwd_lpm_send_packets(int nb_rx, struct rte_mbuf **pkts_burst, uint16_t portid,
+		       struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+{
+	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 
+	l3fwd_lpm_process_packets(nb_rx, pkts_burst, portid, dst_port, qconf,
+				  0);
 	send_packets_multi(qconf, pkts_burst, dst_port, nb_rx);
 }
 
