diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/igb/kcompat.h b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/igb/kcompat.h
index bd627590fe..521a35d9b4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/igb/kcompat.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/igb/kcompat.h
@@ -3859,6 +3859,7 @@ skb_set_hash(struct sk_buff *skb, __u32 hash, __always_unused int type)
 #endif /* < 3.14.0 */
 
 #if ( LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3,16,0) )
+#define SET_ETHTOOL_OPS(netdev, ops) ((netdev)->ethtool_ops = (ops))
 #define HAVE_VF_MIN_MAX_TXRATE 1
 #endif /* >= 3.16.0 */
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/ixgbe/kcompat.h b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/ixgbe/kcompat.h
index b539315eba..e327d65929 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/ixgbe/kcompat.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/ethtool/ixgbe/kcompat.h
@@ -3135,4 +3135,9 @@ static inline int __kc_pci_vfs_assigned(struct pci_dev *dev)
 #define pci_vfs_assigned(dev) __kc_pci_vfs_assigned(dev)
 
 #endif
+
+#if ( LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3,16,0) )
+#define SET_ETHTOOL_OPS(netdev, ops) ((netdev)->ethtool_ops = (ops))
+#endif /* >= 3.16.0 */
+
 #endif /* _KCOMPAT_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/kni_ethtool.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/kni_ethtool.c
index d0673e5787..06b6d46362 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/kni_ethtool.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/kni/kni_ethtool.c
@@ -213,5 +213,5 @@ struct ethtool_ops kni_ethtool_ops = {
 void
 kni_set_ethtool_ops(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
-	SET_ETHTOOL_OPS(netdev, &kni_ethtool_ops);
+	netdev->ethtool_ops = &kni_ethtool_ops;
 }