diff --git a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
index 39109919d4..1cc3ffd81d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
@@ -537,10 +537,10 @@ vmxnet3_write_mac(struct vmxnet3_hw *hw, const uint8_t *addr)
 		     addr[0], addr[1], addr[2],
 		     addr[3], addr[4], addr[5]);
 
-	val = *(const uint32_t *)addr;
+	memcpy(&val, addr, 4);
 	VMXNET3_WRITE_BAR1_REG(hw, VMXNET3_REG_MACL, val);
 
-	val = (addr[5] << 8) | addr[4];
+	memcpy(&val, addr + 4, 2);
 	VMXNET3_WRITE_BAR1_REG(hw, VMXNET3_REG_MACH, val);
 }
 
@@ -1144,6 +1144,8 @@ vmxnet3_mac_addr_set(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac_addr)
 {
 	struct vmxnet3_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, (struct ether_addr *)(hw->perm_addr));
+	ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, &dev->data->mac_addrs[0]);
 	vmxnet3_write_mac(hw, mac_addr->addr_bytes);
 }