diff --git a/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.cc b/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.cc
index 2510598b3..cb3b930bc 100644
--- a/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.cc
+++ b/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.cc
@@ -360,4 +360,10 @@ PointToPointNetDevice::DoGetChannel(void) const
     return m_channel;
 }
 
+bool 
+PointToPointNetDevice::DoNeedsArp (void) const
+{
+  return false;
+}
+
 } // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.h b/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.h
index a19314462..12f02530a 100644
--- a/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/p2p/p2p-net-device.h
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ private:
    * @see class TraceResolver
    */
   virtual TraceResolver *DoCreateTraceResolver (TraceContext const &context);
+  virtual bool DoNeedsArp (void) const;
   /**
    * Enumeration of the states of the transmit machine of the net device.
    */
diff --git a/src/node/net-device.cc b/src/node/net-device.cc
index 00ffece6c..8ce2bf869 100644
--- a/src/node/net-device.cc
+++ b/src/node/net-device.cc
@@ -220,4 +220,10 @@ NetDevice::GetNode (void) const
   return m_node;
 }
 
+bool
+NetDevice::NeedsArp (void) const
+{
+  return DoNeedsArp ();
+}
+
 }; // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/node/net-device.h b/src/node/net-device.h
index ceaa18d1c..116901275 100644
--- a/src/node/net-device.h
+++ b/src/node/net-device.h
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ class NetDevice {
    */
   bool Send(Packet& p, const MacAddress& dest, uint16_t protocolNumber);
 
+  bool NeedsArp (void) const;
+
  protected:
   /**
    * Enable broadcast support. This method should be
@@ -222,7 +224,7 @@ class NetDevice {
    * subclasses to forward packets. Subclasses MUST override this method.
    */
   virtual bool SendTo (Packet& p, const MacAddress& dest) = 0;
-
+  virtual bool DoNeedsArp (void) const = 0;
   virtual TraceResolver *DoCreateTraceResolver (TraceContext const &context) = 0;
   virtual Channel *DoGetChannel (void) const = 0;
   Node*         m_node;