diff --git a/sys/include/net/ipv6/addr.h b/sys/include/net/ipv6/addr.h
index c2ebe89341..bced25f689 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/ipv6/addr.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/ipv6/addr.h
@@ -531,6 +531,19 @@ uint8_t ipv6_addr_match_prefix(const ipv6_addr_t *a, const ipv6_addr_t *b);
  */
 void ipv6_addr_init_prefix(ipv6_addr_t *out, const ipv6_addr_t *prefix, uint8_t bits);
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Sets IPv6 address @p out with a given prefix and interface ID
+ *
+ * @param[out]  out     Address to initialize
+ * @param[in]   prefix  Prefix in host byte order
+ * @param[in]   iid     Interface ID in host byte order
+ */
+static inline void ipv6_addr_init(ipv6_addr_t *out, uint64_t prefix, uint64_t iid)
+{
+    out->u64[0] = byteorder_htonll(prefix);
+    out->u64[1] = byteorder_htonll(iid);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief   Sets the last @p bits of IPv6 address @p out to @p iid.
  *          Leading bits of @p out stay untouched.
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-ipv6_addr/tests-ipv6_addr.c b/tests/unittests/tests-ipv6_addr/tests-ipv6_addr.c
index 016ce24bd9..db265da15c 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-ipv6_addr/tests-ipv6_addr.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-ipv6_addr/tests-ipv6_addr.c
@@ -552,6 +552,19 @@ static void test_ipv6_addr_match_prefix_same_pointer(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(128, ipv6_addr_match_prefix(&a, &a));
 }
 
+static void test_ipv6_addr_init(void)
+{
+    ipv6_addr_t a = { {
+            0xff, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+            0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01
+        },
+    };
+    ipv6_addr_t b;
+    ipv6_addr_init(&b, 0xff02000000000000ULL, 0x1);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(true, ipv6_addr_equal(&a, &b));
+}
+
 static void test_ipv6_addr_init_prefix(void)
 {
     ipv6_addr_t a = { {
@@ -1129,6 +1142,7 @@ Test *tests_ipv6_addr_tests(void)
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_match_prefix_match_127),
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_match_prefix_match_128),
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_match_prefix_same_pointer),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_init),
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_init_prefix),
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_init_iid),
         new_TestFixture(test_ipv6_addr_set_unspecified),