diff --git a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.cpp b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.cpp
index 5f13f72e8..ea3c2dab1 100644
--- a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.cpp
+++ b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.cpp
@@ -293,21 +293,14 @@ void InfraIf::HandleRouterSolicitation(const Ip6::Address &aSrcAddress)
     }
 }
 
-void InfraIf::SendIp6(const Ip6::Address &aSrcAddress,
-                      const Ip6::Address &aDestAddress,
-                      const uint8_t      *aBuffer,
-                      uint16_t            aBufferLength)
+void InfraIf::SendIp6(const Ip6::Header &aHeader, OwnedPtr<Message> aMessagePtr)
 {
-    Message *message = GetNode().Get<MessagePool>().Allocate(Message::kTypeIp6);
+    VerifyOrQuit(aMessagePtr != nullptr);
 
-    VerifyOrQuit(message != nullptr);
+    Log("InfraIf::SendIp6 from %s to %s (len:%u)", aHeader.GetSource().ToString().AsCString(),
+        aHeader.GetDestination().ToString().AsCString(), aMessagePtr->GetLength());
 
-    Log("InfraIf::SendIp6 from %s to %s (len:%u)", aSrcAddress.ToString().AsCString(),
-        aDestAddress.ToString().AsCString(), aBufferLength);
-
-    SuccessOrQuit(message->AppendBytes(aBuffer, aBufferLength));
-
-    mPendingTxQueue.Enqueue(*message);
+    mPendingTxQueue.Enqueue(*aMessagePtr.Release());
 }
 
 void InfraIf::SendEchoRequest(const Ip6::Address &aSrcAddress,
diff --git a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.hpp b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.hpp
index a05ce9185..5e620bdc4 100644
--- a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.hpp
+++ b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_infra_if.hpp
@@ -64,10 +64,7 @@ public:
                                  const Ip6::Prefix  *aRioPrefix);
     void StartRouterAdvertisement(const Ip6::Prefix &aPioPrefix, const Ip6::Prefix *aRioPrefix = nullptr);
     void StopRouterAdvertisement(void);
-    void SendIp6(const Ip6::Address &aSrcAddress,
-                 const Ip6::Address &aDestAddress,
-                 const uint8_t      *aBuffer,
-                 uint16_t            aBufferLength);
+    void SendIp6(const Ip6::Header &aHeader, OwnedPtr<Message> aMessagePtr);
     void SendEchoRequest(const Ip6::Address &aSrcAddress,
                          const Ip6::Address &aDestAddress,
                          uint16_t            aIdentifier,
diff --git a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.cpp b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.cpp
index a149c2443..1fe7a1451 100644
--- a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.cpp
+++ b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.cpp
@@ -142,46 +142,42 @@ void Node::SetName(const char *aPrefix, uint16_t aIndex) { mName.Clear().Append(
 
 void Node::HandleIp6Receive(otMessage *aMessage, void *aContext)
 {
-    static_cast<Node *>(aContext)->HandleReceive(aMessage);
+    OwnedPtr<Message> messagePtr(AsCoreTypePtr(aMessage));
+
+    static_cast<Node *>(aContext)->HandleIp6Receive(messagePtr.PassOwnership());
 }
 
-void Node::HandleReceive(otMessage *aMessage)
+void Node::HandleIp6Receive(OwnedPtr<Message> aMessagePtr)
 {
-    uint16_t     length = otMessageGetLength(aMessage);
-    uint8_t      buffer[1500];
-    Ip6::Header *header;
+    Ip6::Header header;
 
-    VerifyOrExit(length <= sizeof(buffer));
-    VerifyOrQuit(otMessageRead(aMessage, 0, buffer, length) == length);
-
-    VerifyOrExit(length >= sizeof(Ip6::Header));
-    header = reinterpret_cast<Ip6::Header *>(buffer);
+    VerifyOrExit(aMessagePtr != nullptr);
+    SuccessOrExit(header.ParseFrom(*aMessagePtr));
 
     // Forward packets to InfraIf if they are intended for the backbone.
     // We avoid forwarding link-local and realm-local scope packets.
 
     VerifyOrExit(mInfraIf.IsInitialized());
-    VerifyOrExit(header->GetHopLimit() > 1);
 
-    header->SetHopLimit(header->GetHopLimit() - 1);
+    VerifyOrExit(header.GetHopLimit() > 1);
+    header.SetHopLimit(header.GetHopLimit() - 1);
+    aMessagePtr->Write(0, header);
 
-    VerifyOrExit(header->GetDestination().GetScope() > Ip6::Address::kRealmLocalScope);
+    VerifyOrExit(header.GetDestination().GetScope() > Ip6::Address::kRealmLocalScope);
 
-    if (header->GetDestination().IsMulticast())
+    if (header.GetDestination().IsMulticast())
     {
         VerifyOrExit(Get<BackboneRouter::Local>().IsPrimary());
     }
 
-    VerifyOrExit(Get<NetworkData::Leader>().IsOnMesh(header->GetSource()));
+    VerifyOrExit(!header.GetSource().IsLinkLocalUnicastOrMulticast());
+    VerifyOrExit(!Get<Mle::Mle>().IsMeshLocalAddress(header.GetSource()));
+    VerifyOrExit(Get<NetworkData::Leader>().IsOnMesh(header.GetSource()));
 
-    // Only forward if source is NOT Link-Local and NOT Mesh-Local.
-    VerifyOrExit(!header->GetSource().IsLinkLocalUnicastOrMulticast());
-    VerifyOrExit(!Get<Mle::Mle>().IsMeshLocalAddress(header->GetSource()));
-
-    mInfraIf.SendIp6(header->GetSource(), header->GetDestination(), buffer, length);
+    mInfraIf.SendIp6(header, aMessagePtr.PassOwnership());
 
 exit:
-    otMessageFree(aMessage);
+    return;
 }
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_RADIO_LINK_TREL_ENABLE
diff --git a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.hpp b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.hpp
index cb3f0daac..2959150ba 100644
--- a/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.hpp
+++ b/tests/nexus/platform/nexus_node.hpp
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ public:
     static Node &From(otInstance *aInstance) { return static_cast<Node &>(*aInstance); }
 
     static void HandleIp6Receive(otMessage *aMessage, void *aContext);
-    void        HandleReceive(otMessage *aMessage);
 
     using Platform::mAlarmMicro;
     using Platform::mAlarmMilli;
@@ -160,6 +159,8 @@ private:
     {
     }
 
+    void HandleIp6Receive(OwnedPtr<Message> aMessagePtr);
+
     String<32> mName;
 };