diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/sc_gnrc_icmpv6_echo.c b/sys/shell/commands/sc_gnrc_icmpv6_echo.c
index 2cb8a7a65a..10ac574641 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/sc_gnrc_icmpv6_echo.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/sc_gnrc_icmpv6_echo.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ typedef struct {
     BITFIELD(cktab, CKTAB_SIZE);
     uint32_t timeout;
     uint32_t interval;
-    kernel_pid_t iface;
+    gnrc_netif_t *netif;
     uint16_t id;
     uint8_t hoplimit;
     uint8_t pattern;
@@ -171,21 +171,23 @@ static int _configure(int argc, char **argv, _ping_data_t *data)
     for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
         char *arg = argv[i];
         if (arg[0] != '-') {
+            int iface;
+
             data->hostname = arg;
 #ifdef MODULE_SOCK_DNS
             if (sock_dns_query(data->hostname, &data->host, AF_INET6) == 0) {
                 continue;
             }
 #endif
-            data->iface = ipv6_addr_split_iface(data->hostname);
-            if (data->iface < KERNEL_PID_UNDEF) {
-#if GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF == 1
-                gnrc_netif_t *netif = gnrc_netif_iter(NULL);
-                if (netif != NULL) {
-                    data->iface = netif->pid;
-                }
-#endif
+            iface = ipv6_addr_split_iface(data->hostname);
+            if (iface > KERNEL_PID_UNDEF) {
+                data->netif = gnrc_netif_get_by_pid(iface);
             }
+#if GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF == 1
+            else {
+                data->netif = gnrc_netif_iter(NULL);
+            }
+#endif
             if (ipv6_addr_from_str(&data->host, data->hostname) == NULL) {
                 break;
             }
@@ -295,7 +297,7 @@ static void _pinger(_ping_data_t *data)
     ipv6 = pkt->data;
     /* if data->hoplimit is unset (i.e. 0) gnrc_ipv6 will select hop limit */
     ipv6->hl = data->hoplimit;
-    if (data->iface > KERNEL_PID_UNDEF) {
+    if (data->netif != NULL) {
         gnrc_netif_hdr_t *netif;
 
         tmp = gnrc_netif_hdr_build(NULL, 0, NULL, 0);
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ static void _pinger(_ping_data_t *data)
             goto error_exit;
         }
         netif = tmp->data;
-        netif->if_pid = data->iface;
+        netif->if_pid = data->netif->pid;
         LL_PREPEND(pkt, tmp);
     }
     if (data->datalen >= sizeof(uint32_t)) {