diff --git a/include/linux/if_addr.h b/include/linux/if_addr.h
index dbe8f6120a40..d557e4ce9b6b 100644
--- a/include/linux/if_addr.h
+++ b/include/linux/if_addr.h
@@ -52,4 +52,10 @@ struct ifa_cacheinfo
 	__u32	tstamp; /* updated timestamp, hundredths of seconds */
 };
 
+/* backwards compatibility for userspace */
+#ifndef __KERNEL__
+#define IFA_RTA(r)  ((struct rtattr*)(((char*)(r)) + NLMSG_ALIGN(sizeof(struct ifaddrmsg))))
+#define IFA_PAYLOAD(n) NLMSG_PAYLOAD(n,sizeof(struct ifaddrmsg))
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/linux/if_link.h b/include/linux/if_link.h
index e963a077e6f5..35ed3b5467f3 100644
--- a/include/linux/if_link.h
+++ b/include/linux/if_link.h
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ enum
 
 #define IFLA_MAX (__IFLA_MAX - 1)
 
+/* backwards compatibility for userspace */
+#ifndef __KERNEL__
+#define IFLA_RTA(r)  ((struct rtattr*)(((char*)(r)) + NLMSG_ALIGN(sizeof(struct ifinfomsg))))
+#define IFLA_PAYLOAD(n) NLMSG_PAYLOAD(n,sizeof(struct ifinfomsg))
+#endif
+
 /* ifi_flags.
 
    IFF_* flags.