return rc;
 }
 
-static u64 ibmveth_encode_mac_addr(u8 *mac)
-{
-       int i;
-       u64 encoded = 0;
-
-       for (i = 0; i < ETH_ALEN; i++)
-               encoded = (encoded << 8) | mac[i];
-
-       return encoded;
-}
-
 static int ibmveth_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
        struct ibmveth_adapter *adapter = netdev_priv(netdev);
        adapter->rx_queue.num_slots = rxq_entries;
        adapter->rx_queue.toggle = 1;
 
-       mac_address = ibmveth_encode_mac_addr(netdev->dev_addr);
+       mac_address = ether_addr_to_u64(netdev->dev_addr);
 
        rxq_desc.fields.flags_len = IBMVETH_BUF_VALID |
                                        adapter->rx_queue.queue_len;
                netdev_for_each_mc_addr(ha, netdev) {
                        /* add the multicast address to the filter table */
                        u64 mcast_addr;
-                       mcast_addr = ibmveth_encode_mac_addr(ha->addr);
+                       mcast_addr = ether_addr_to_u64(ha->addr);
                        lpar_rc = h_multicast_ctrl(adapter->vdev->unit_address,
                                                   IbmVethMcastAddFilter,
                                                   mcast_addr);
        if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
                return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 
-       mac_address = ibmveth_encode_mac_addr(addr->sa_data);
+       mac_address = ether_addr_to_u64(addr->sa_data);
        rc = h_change_logical_lan_mac(adapter->vdev->unit_address, mac_address);
        if (rc) {
                netdev_err(adapter->netdev, "h_change_logical_lan_mac failed with rc=%d\n", rc);