diff --git a/src/core/radio/trel_interface.cpp b/src/core/radio/trel_interface.cpp
index 7fa190767..2f69c7d0a 100644
--- a/src/core/radio/trel_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/core/radio/trel_interface.cpp
@@ -324,15 +324,9 @@ Interface::Peer *Interface::GetNewPeerEntry(void)
         }
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD
+        if (Get<NeighborTable>().FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(entry.GetExtAddress()) != nullptr)
         {
-            Mac::Address macAddress;
-
-            macAddress.SetExtended(entry.GetExtAddress());
-
-            if (Get<NeighborTable>().FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(macAddress) != nullptr)
-            {
-                continue;
-            }
+            continue;
         }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index d4bdbc10f..0eaedd9d8 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -2464,6 +2464,9 @@ void Mle::HandleUdpReceive(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::MessageInfo &aMessageIn
     Mac::ExtAddress extAddr;
     uint8_t         command;
     Neighbor       *neighbor;
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD
+    bool isNeighborRxOnly = false;
+#endif
 
     LogDebg("Receive MLE message");
 
@@ -2517,6 +2520,18 @@ void Mle::HandleUdpReceive(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::MessageInfo &aMessageIn
     neighbor = (command == kCommandChildIdResponse) ? mNeighborTable.FindParent(extAddr)
                                                     : mNeighborTable.FindNeighbor(extAddr);
 
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD
+    if (neighbor == nullptr)
+    {
+        // As an FED, we may have rx-only neighbors. We find and set
+        // `neighbor` to perform security processing (frame counter
+        // and key sequence checks) for messages from such neighbors.
+
+        neighbor         = mNeighborTable.FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(extAddr);
+        isNeighborRxOnly = true;
+    }
+#endif
+
     if (neighbor != nullptr && neighbor->IsStateValid())
     {
         if (keySequence == neighbor->GetKeySequence())
@@ -2564,6 +2579,30 @@ void Mle::HandleUdpReceive(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::MessageInfo &aMessageIn
     }
 #endif
 
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD
+    if (isNeighborRxOnly)
+    {
+        // Clear the `neighbor` if it is a rx-only one before calling
+        // `Handle{Msg}()`, except for a subset of MLE messages such
+        // as MLE Advertisement. This ensures that, as an FED, we are
+        // selective about which messages to process from rx-only
+        // neighbors.
+
+        switch (command)
+        {
+        case kCommandAdvertisement:
+        case kCommandLinkRequest:
+        case kCommandLinkAccept:
+        case kCommandLinkAcceptAndRequest:
+            break;
+
+        default:
+            neighbor = nullptr;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
     rxInfo.mKeySequence  = keySequence;
     rxInfo.mFrameCounter = frameCounter;
     rxInfo.mNeighbor     = neighbor;
diff --git a/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.cpp b/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.cpp
index d5f679b1f..39bd0663d 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.cpp
@@ -167,6 +167,15 @@ exit:
     return neighbor;
 }
 
+Neighbor *NeighborTable::FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(const Mac::ExtAddress &aExtAddress)
+{
+    Mac::Address macAddress;
+
+    macAddress.SetExtended(aExtAddress);
+
+    return FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(macAddress);
+}
+
 Neighbor *NeighborTable::FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(const Mac::Address &aMacAddress)
 {
     Neighbor *neighbor = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.hpp b/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.hpp
index 321983d45..67338c9fd 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/neighbor_table.hpp
@@ -177,6 +177,17 @@ public:
     Neighbor *FindNeighbor(const Ip6::Address   &aIp6Address,
                            Neighbor::StateFilter aFilter = Neighbor::kInStateValidOrRestoring);
 
+    /**
+     * Searches in the neighbor table to find a `Neighbor` for which a one-way link is maintained (as in the
+     * case of an FTD child with neighbor routers).
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aExtAddress  An Extended address.
+     *
+     * @returns A pointer to the Neighbor corresponding to @p aExtAddress, `nullptr` otherwise.
+     *
+     */
+    Neighbor *FindRxOnlyNeighborRouter(const Mac::ExtAddress &aExtAddress);
+
     /**
      * Searches in the neighbor table to find a `Neighbor` for which a one-way link is maintained (as in the
      * case of an FTD child with neighbor routers).