diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
index dbd2bcae763de..7371df7b6fb0c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
@@ -2806,6 +2806,9 @@ static netdev_tx_t i40e_xmit_frame_ring(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	int tsyn;
 	int tso;
 
+	/* prefetch the data, we'll need it later */
+	prefetch(skb->data);
+
 	if (0 == i40e_xmit_descriptor_count(skb, tx_ring))
 		return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
index 23fd11243583f..0f1a4ef5e3be4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
@@ -1993,6 +1993,9 @@ static netdev_tx_t i40e_xmit_frame_ring(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	u8 hdr_len = 0;
 	int tso;
 
+	/* prefetch the data, we'll need it later */
+	prefetch(skb->data);
+
 	if (0 == i40evf_xmit_descriptor_count(skb, tx_ring))
 		return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;