diff --git a/include/zephyr/net/net_core.h b/include/zephyr/net/net_core.h
index 1b4bf0479bda..5c017a9780e2 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/net/net_core.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/net/net_core.h
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@ struct net_l3_register {
 		.handler = _handler,					\
 		.name = STRINGIFY(_name),				\
 		.l2 = _l2_type,						\
-	};								\
-	BUILD_ASSERT((_handler) != NULL, "Handler is not defined")
+	};
 
 /* @endcond */
 
diff --git a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
index ab7add695b13..c93705bc11a9 100644
--- a/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
+++ b/subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c
@@ -353,7 +353,8 @@ static enum net_verdict ethernet_recv(struct net_if *iface,
 	net_buf_pull(pkt->frags, hdr_len);
 
 	STRUCT_SECTION_FOREACH(net_l3_register, l3) {
-		if (l3->ptype != type || l3->l2 != &NET_L2_GET_NAME(ETHERNET)) {
+		if (l3->ptype != type || l3->l2 != &NET_L2_GET_NAME(ETHERNET) ||
+		    l3->handler == NULL) {
 			continue;
 		}