diff --git a/drivers/atm/nicstar.c b/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
index 5aca5f4c5458..9587e959ce1a 100644
--- a/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
+++ b/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <asm/io.h>
 #include <asm/uaccess.h>
 #include <linux/atomic.h>
+#include <linux/etherdevice.h>
 #include "nicstar.h"
 #ifdef CONFIG_ATM_NICSTAR_USE_SUNI
 #include "suni.h"
@@ -781,8 +782,7 @@ static int ns_init_card(int i, struct pci_dev *pcidev)
 	if (mac[i] == NULL || !mac_pton(mac[i], card->atmdev->esi)) {
 		nicstar_read_eprom(card->membase, NICSTAR_EPROM_MAC_ADDR_OFFSET,
 				   card->atmdev->esi, 6);
-		if (memcmp(card->atmdev->esi, "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00", 6) ==
-		    0) {
+		if (ether_addr_equal(card->atmdev->esi, "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")) {
 			nicstar_read_eprom(card->membase,
 					   NICSTAR_EPROM_MAC_ADDR_OFFSET_ALT,
 					   card->atmdev->esi, 6);