diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/ixgbe_netmap.h b/sys/dev/netmap/ixgbe_netmap.h
index 7fd67d2b57ff..4dea6639d325 100644
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/ixgbe_netmap.h
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/ixgbe_netmap.h
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ ixgbe_netmap_txsync(struct netmap_adapter *na, u_int ring_nr, int flags)
 	if (nm_i != cur) {	/* we have new packets to send */
 		nic_i = netmap_idx_k2n(kring, nm_i);
 
-		prefetch(&ring->slot[nm_i]);
-		prefetch(&txr->tx_buffers[nic_i]);
+		__builtin_prefetch(&ring->slot[nm_i]);
+		__builtin_prefetch(&txr->tx_buffers[nic_i]);
 
 		for (n = 0; nm_i != cur; n++) {
 			struct netmap_slot *slot = &ring->slot[nm_i];
@@ -237,8 +237,8 @@ ixgbe_netmap_txsync(struct netmap_adapter *na, u_int ring_nr, int flags)
 				IXGBE_TXD_CMD_RS : 0;
 
 			/* prefetch for next round */
-			prefetch(&ring->slot[nm_i + 1]);
-			prefetch(&txr->tx_buffers[nic_i + 1]);
+			__builtin_prefetch(&ring->slot[nm_i + 1]);
+			__builtin_prefetch(&txr->tx_buffers[nic_i + 1]);
 
 			NM_CHECK_ADDR_LEN(addr, len);
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
index c009f5e62684..9381cd4cedd3 100644
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@
 #define NM_ATOMIC_TEST_AND_SET(p)       (!atomic_cmpset_acq_int((p), 0, 1))
 #define NM_ATOMIC_CLEAR(p)              atomic_store_rel_int((p), 0)
 
-#define prefetch(x)     __builtin_prefetch(x)
 
 MALLOC_DECLARE(M_NETMAP);
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_vale.c b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_vale.c
index e0ce94cccb7d..32d6422de120 100644
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_vale.c
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_vale.c
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 #include <sys/endian.h>
 #include <sys/refcount.h>
 
-// #define prefetch(x)	__builtin_prefetch(x)
-
 
 #define BDG_RWLOCK_T		struct rwlock // struct rwlock
 
@@ -1003,7 +1001,7 @@ nm_bdg_preflush(struct netmap_vp_adapter *na, u_int ring_nr,
 		ft[ft_i].ft_next = NM_FT_NULL;
 		buf = ft[ft_i].ft_buf = (slot->flags & NS_INDIRECT) ?
 			(void *)(uintptr_t)slot->ptr : BDG_NMB(&na->up, slot);
-		prefetch(buf);
+		__builtin_prefetch(buf);
 		++ft_i;
 		if (slot->flags & NS_MOREFRAG) {
 			frags++;