diff --git a/include/openthread/instance.h b/include/openthread/instance.h
index cab6333a3..8eeb08f43 100644
--- a/include/openthread/instance.h
+++ b/include/openthread/instance.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ extern "C" {
  * @note This number versions both OpenThread platform and user APIs.
  *
  */
-#define OPENTHREAD_API_VERSION (393)
+#define OPENTHREAD_API_VERSION (394)
 
 /**
  * @addtogroup api-instance
diff --git a/include/openthread/ip6.h b/include/openthread/ip6.h
index cb4d12491..7f54b7376 100644
--- a/include/openthread/ip6.h
+++ b/include/openthread/ip6.h
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ typedef struct otIp6AddressInfo
     uint8_t             mPrefixLength;  ///< The prefix length of mAddress if it is a unicast address.
     uint8_t             mScope : 4;     ///< The scope of this address.
     bool                mPreferred : 1; ///< Whether this is a preferred address.
+    bool                mMeshLocal : 1; ///< Whether this is a mesh-local unicast/anycast address.
 } otIp6AddressInfo;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/net/netif.cpp b/src/core/net/netif.cpp
index 1b739afca..3e103312b 100644
--- a/src/core/net/netif.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/netif.cpp
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ void Netif::SignalMulticastAddressChange(AddressEvent aEvent, const MulticastAdd
         info.mPrefixLength = kMulticastPrefixLength;
         info.mScope        = aAddress.GetAddress().GetScope();
         info.mPreferred    = false;
+        info.mMeshLocal    = false;
 
         mAddressCallback.Invoke(&info, aEvent);
     }
@@ -427,6 +428,7 @@ void Netif::SignalUnicastAddressChange(AddressEvent aEvent, const UnicastAddress
         info.mPrefixLength = aAddress.mPrefixLength;
         info.mScope        = aAddress.GetScope();
         info.mPreferred    = aAddress.mPreferred;
+        info.mMeshLocal    = aAddress.mMeshLocal;
 
         mAddressCallback.Invoke(&info, aEvent);
     }
@@ -539,12 +541,12 @@ void Netif::ApplyNewMeshLocalPrefix(void)
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Netif::UnicastAddress
 
-void Netif::UnicastAddress::InitAsThreadOrigin(bool aPreferred)
+void Netif::UnicastAddress::InitAsThreadOrigin(void)
 {
     Clear();
     mPrefixLength  = NetworkPrefix::kLength;
     mAddressOrigin = kOriginThread;
-    mPreferred     = aPreferred;
+    mPreferred     = true;
     mValid         = true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/net/netif.hpp b/src/core/net/netif.hpp
index 663eb218e..a736df8e4 100644
--- a/src/core/net/netif.hpp
+++ b/src/core/net/netif.hpp
@@ -116,10 +116,8 @@ public:
          * Clears and initializes the unicast address as a preferred, valid, thread-origin address with
          * 64-bit prefix length.
          *
-         * @param[in]   aPreferred  Whether to initialize as a preferred address.
-         *
          */
-        void InitAsThreadOrigin(bool aPreferred = false);
+        void InitAsThreadOrigin(void);
 
         /**
          * Clears and initializes the unicast address as a valid (but not preferred), thread-origin,
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index ef5fe7efb..7eeb25dca 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ Mle::Mle(Instance &aInstance)
     mParentCandidate.Clear();
     ResetCounters();
 
-    mLinkLocal64.InitAsThreadOrigin(/* aPreferred */ true);
+    mLinkLocal64.InitAsThreadOrigin();
     mLinkLocal64.GetAddress().SetToLinkLocalAddress(Get<Mac::Mac>().GetExtAddress());
 
     mMeshLocal64.InitAsThreadOriginMeshLocal();
diff --git a/src/posix/platform/netif.cpp b/src/posix/platform/netif.cpp
index 4db22bf6a..d3b302497 100644
--- a/src/posix/platform/netif.cpp
+++ b/src/posix/platform/netif.cpp
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ static void UpdateUnicastLinux(otInstance *aInstance, const otIp6AddressInfo &aA
 
     AddRtAttr(&req.nh, sizeof(req), IFA_LOCAL, aAddressInfo.mAddress, sizeof(*aAddressInfo.mAddress));
 
-    if (!aAddressInfo.mPreferred)
+    if (!aAddressInfo.mPreferred || aAddressInfo.mMeshLocal)
     {
         struct ifa_cacheinfo cacheinfo;
 
@@ -456,12 +456,13 @@ static void UpdateUnicast(otInstance *aInstance, const otIp6AddressInfo &aAddres
         ifr6.ifra_prefixmask.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
         ifr6.ifra_prefixmask.sin6_len    = sizeof(ifr6.ifra_prefixmask);
         InitNetaskWithPrefixLength(&ifr6.ifra_prefixmask.sin6_addr, aAddressInfo.mPrefixLength);
-        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_vltime    = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
-        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_pltime    = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
+        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_vltime = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
+        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_pltime = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
 
 #if defined(__APPLE__)
-        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_expire    = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
-        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_preferred = (aAddressInfo.mPreferred ? ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME : 0);
+        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_expire = ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME;
+        ifr6.ifra_lifetime.ia6t_preferred =
+            (aAddressInfo.mPreferred && !aAddressInfo.mMeshLocal ? ND6_INFINITE_LIFETIME : 0);
 #endif
 
         rval = ioctl(sIpFd, aIsAdded ? SIOCAIFADDR_IN6 : SIOCDIFADDR_IN6, &ifr6);