diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 92c831a..937c79c 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1469,6 +1469,7 @@
 AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([struct sockaddr.sa_len,
 	struct sockaddr_in.sin_len, struct sockaddr_un.sun_len,
 	struct sockaddr_in6.sin6_scope_id,
+	struct sockaddr_dl.sdl_len,
 	struct if6_aliasreq.ifra_lifetime,
 	struct nd_opt_adv_interval.nd_opt_ai_type],
 	[], [], QUAGGA_INCLUDES)
diff --git a/lib/if.h b/lib/if.h
index 841ce51..2116e12 100644
--- a/lib/if.h
+++ b/lib/if.h
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@
 
   /* Hardware address. */
 #ifdef HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_DL
-  struct sockaddr_dl sdl;
+  union {
+    /* note that sdl_storage is never accessed, it only exists to make space.
+     * all actual uses refer to sdl - but use sizeof(sdl_storage)!  this fits
+     * best with C aliasing rules. */
+    struct sockaddr_dl sdl;
+    struct sockaddr_storage sdl_storage;
+  };
 #else
   unsigned short hw_type;
   u_char hw_addr[INTERFACE_HWADDR_MAX];
diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index 61c6f73..d316596 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@
   ifp->mtu6 = stream_getl (s);
   ifp->bandwidth = stream_getl (s);
 #ifdef HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_DL
-  stream_get (&ifp->sdl, s, sizeof (ifp->sdl));
+  stream_get (&ifp->sdl, s, sizeof (ifp->sdl_storage));
 #else
   ifp->hw_addr_len = stream_getl (s);
   if (ifp->hw_addr_len)
diff --git a/zebra/kernel_socket.c b/zebra/kernel_socket.c
index cde36bd..73fabd4 100644
--- a/zebra/kernel_socket.c
+++ b/zebra/kernel_socket.c
@@ -477,13 +477,22 @@
 
       /*
        * XXX sockaddr_dl contents can be larger than the structure
-       * definition, so the user of the stored structure must be
-       * careful not to read off the end.
-       *
+       * definition.  There are 2 big families here:
+       *  - BSD has sdl_len + sdl_data[16] + overruns sdl_data
+       *    we MUST use sdl_len here or we'll truncate data.
+       *  - Solaris has no sdl_len, but sdl_data[244]
+       *    presumably, it's not going to run past that, so sizeof()
+       *    is fine here.
        * a nonzero ifnlen from RTA_NAME_GET() means sdl is valid
        */
       if (ifnlen)
+      {
+#ifdef HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_DL_SDL_LEN
+	memcpy (&ifp->sdl, sdl, sdl->sdl_len);
+#else
 	memcpy (&ifp->sdl, sdl, sizeof (struct sockaddr_dl));
+#endif /* HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_DL_SDL_LEN */
+      }
 
       if_add_update (ifp);
     }
diff --git a/zebra/zserv.c b/zebra/zserv.c
index 9e47f23..cb8dbcb 100644
--- a/zebra/zserv.c
+++ b/zebra/zserv.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
   stream_putl (s, ifp->mtu6);
   stream_putl (s, ifp->bandwidth);
 #ifdef HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_DL
-  stream_put (s, &ifp->sdl, sizeof (ifp->sdl));
+  stream_put (s, &ifp->sdl, sizeof (ifp->sdl_storage));
 #else
   stream_putl (s, ifp->hw_addr_len);
   if (ifp->hw_addr_len)