diff --git a/examples/ping.rs b/examples/ping.rs
index 7be1eed..8ce1869 100644
--- a/examples/ping.rs
+++ b/examples/ping.rs
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ fn main() {
     let remote_addr = address;
     let local_addr  = Ipv4Address::new(192, 168, 69, 1);
 
-    let icmp_rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 256]);
-    let icmp_tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 256]);
+    let icmp_rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 256]);
+    let icmp_tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 256]);
     let icmp_socket = IcmpSocket::new(icmp_rx_buffer, icmp_tx_buffer);
 
     let ethernet_addr = EthernetAddress([0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02]);
diff --git a/examples/server.rs b/examples/server.rs
index 4c1a3d1..1311087 100644
--- a/examples/server.rs
+++ b/examples/server.rs
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ fn main() {
 
     let neighbor_cache = NeighborCache::new(BTreeMap::new());
 
-    let udp_rx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 64]);
-    let udp_tx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 128]);
+    let udp_rx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 64]);
+    let udp_tx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 128]);
     let udp_socket = UdpSocket::new(udp_rx_buffer, udp_tx_buffer);
 
     let tcp1_rx_buffer = TcpSocketBuffer::new(vec![0; 64]);
diff --git a/src/iface/ethernet.rs b/src/iface/ethernet.rs
index 4c28030..6f46f70 100644
--- a/src/iface/ethernet.rs
+++ b/src/iface/ethernet.rs
@@ -1427,8 +1427,8 @@ mod test {
 
         let (iface, mut socket_set) = create_loopback();
 
-        let rx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 15]);
-        let tx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 15]);
+        let rx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 15]);
+        let tx_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 15]);
 
         let udp_socket = UdpSocket::new(rx_buffer, tx_buffer);
 
@@ -1624,8 +1624,8 @@ mod test {
 
         let (iface, mut socket_set) = create_loopback();
 
-        let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 24]);
-        let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 24]);
+        let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 24]);
+        let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 24]);
 
         let icmpv4_socket = IcmpSocket::new(rx_buffer, tx_buffer);
 
diff --git a/src/socket/icmp.rs b/src/socket/icmp.rs
index 578fd54..24ad347 100644
--- a/src/socket/icmp.rs
+++ b/src/socket/icmp.rs
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ impl<'a, 'b> IcmpSocket<'a, 'b> {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// # use smoltcp::socket::{Socket, IcmpSocket, IcmpSocketBuffer, IcmpPacketMetadata};
-    /// # let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 20]);
-    /// # let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 20]);
+    /// # let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 20]);
+    /// # let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 20]);
     /// use smoltcp::wire::IpEndpoint;
     /// use smoltcp::socket::IcmpEndpoint;
     ///
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ impl<'a, 'b> IcmpSocket<'a, 'b> {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// # use smoltcp::socket::{Socket, IcmpSocket, IcmpSocketBuffer, IcmpPacketMetadata};
-    /// # let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 20]);
-    /// # let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty()], vec![0; 20]);
+    /// # let rx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 20]);
+    /// # let tx_buffer = IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY], vec![0; 20]);
     /// use smoltcp::socket::IcmpEndpoint;
     ///
     /// let mut icmp_socket = // ...
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ mod test {
     use super::*;
 
     fn buffer(packets: usize) -> IcmpSocketBuffer<'static, 'static> {
-        IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::empty(); packets], vec![0; 46 * packets])
+        IcmpSocketBuffer::new(vec![IcmpPacketMetadata::EMPTY; packets], vec![0; 46 * packets])
     }
 
     fn socket(rx_buffer: IcmpSocketBuffer<'static, 'static>,
diff --git a/src/socket/raw.rs b/src/socket/raw.rs
index b0fcfd7..1af455f 100644
--- a/src/socket/raw.rs
+++ b/src/socket/raw.rs
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ mod test {
     use super::*;
 
     fn buffer(packets: usize) -> RawSocketBuffer<'static, 'static> {
-        RawSocketBuffer::new(vec![RawPacketMetadata::empty(); packets], vec![0; 48 * packets])
+        RawSocketBuffer::new(vec![RawPacketMetadata::EMPTY; packets], vec![0; 48 * packets])
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "proto-ipv4")]
diff --git a/src/socket/udp.rs b/src/socket/udp.rs
index ca4a9eb..09946c4 100644
--- a/src/socket/udp.rs
+++ b/src/socket/udp.rs
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ mod test {
     use super::*;
 
     fn buffer(packets: usize) -> UdpSocketBuffer<'static, 'static> {
-        UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty(); packets], vec![0; 16 * packets])
+        UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY; packets], vec![0; 16 * packets])
     }
 
     fn socket(rx_buffer: UdpSocketBuffer<'static, 'static>,
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_process_empty_payload() {
-        let recv_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::empty(); 1], vec![]);
+        let recv_buffer = UdpSocketBuffer::new(vec![UdpPacketMetadata::EMPTY; 1], vec![]);
         let mut socket = socket(recv_buffer, buffer(0));
         assert_eq!(socket.bind(LOCAL_PORT), Ok(()));
 
diff --git a/src/storage/packet_buffer.rs b/src/storage/packet_buffer.rs
index d7a2a14..6a8f954 100644
--- a/src/storage/packet_buffer.rs
+++ b/src/storage/packet_buffer.rs
@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@ pub struct PacketMetadata<H> {
 }
 
 impl<H> PacketMetadata<H> {
-    /// Create an empty packet description.
-    pub fn empty() -> PacketMetadata<H> {
-        Self::padding(0)
-    }
+    /// Empty packet description.
+    pub const EMPTY: PacketMetadata<H> = PacketMetadata { size: 0, header: None };
 
     fn padding(size: usize) -> PacketMetadata<H> {
         PacketMetadata {
@@ -155,7 +153,7 @@ mod test {
     use super::*;
 
     fn buffer() -> PacketBuffer<'static, 'static, ()> {
-        PacketBuffer::new(vec![PacketMetadata::empty(); 4],
+        PacketBuffer::new(vec![PacketMetadata::EMPTY; 4],
                           vec![0u8; 16])
     }