}
 
 /**
- * batadv_neigh_node_new - create and init a new neigh_node object
+ * batadv_neigh_node_create - create a neigh node object
  * @orig_node: originator object representing the neighbour
  * @hard_iface: the interface where the neighbour is connected to
  * @neigh_addr: the mac address of the neighbour interface
  *
  * Allocates a new neigh_node object and initialises all the generic fields.
  *
- * Return: neighbor when found. Othwerwise NULL
+ * Return: the neighbour node if found or created or NULL otherwise.
  */
-struct batadv_neigh_node *
-batadv_neigh_node_new(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,
-                     struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
-                     const u8 *neigh_addr)
+static struct batadv_neigh_node *
+batadv_neigh_node_create(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,
+                        struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
+                        const u8 *neigh_addr)
 {
        struct batadv_neigh_node *neigh_node;
        struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *hardif_neigh = NULL;
        return neigh_node;
 }
 
+/**
+ * batadv_neigh_node_get_or_create - retrieve or create a neigh node object
+ * @orig_node: originator object representing the neighbour
+ * @hard_iface: the interface where the neighbour is connected to
+ * @neigh_addr: the mac address of the neighbour interface
+ *
+ * Return: the neighbour node if found or created or NULL otherwise.
+ */
+struct batadv_neigh_node *
+batadv_neigh_node_get_or_create(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,
+                               struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
+                               const u8 *neigh_addr)
+{
+       struct batadv_neigh_node *neigh_node = NULL;
+
+       /* first check without locking to avoid the overhead */
+       neigh_node = batadv_neigh_node_get(orig_node, hard_iface, neigh_addr);
+       if (neigh_node)
+               return neigh_node;
+
+       return batadv_neigh_node_create(orig_node, hard_iface, neigh_addr);
+}
+
 /**
  * batadv_hardif_neigh_seq_print_text - print the single hop neighbour list
  * @seq: neighbour table seq_file struct
 
 void
 batadv_hardif_neigh_put(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *hardif_neigh);
 struct batadv_neigh_node *
-batadv_neigh_node_new(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,
-                     struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
-                     const u8 *neigh_addr);
+batadv_neigh_node_get_or_create(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,
+                               struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
+                               const u8 *neigh_addr);
 void batadv_neigh_node_put(struct batadv_neigh_node *neigh_node);
 struct batadv_neigh_node *
 batadv_orig_router_get(struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,