diff --git a/include/openthread/ip6.h b/include/openthread/ip6.h
index 8ef45c49f..f270508d9 100644
--- a/include/openthread/ip6.h
+++ b/include/openthread/ip6.h
@@ -139,13 +139,16 @@ typedef struct otSockAddr
  */
 typedef struct otMessageInfo
 {
-    otIp6Address mSockAddr;            ///< The local IPv6 address.
-    otIp6Address mPeerAddr;            ///< The peer IPv6 address.
-    uint16_t     mSockPort;            ///< The local transport-layer port.
-    uint16_t     mPeerPort;            ///< The peer transport-layer port.
-    const void * mLinkInfo;            ///< A pointer to link-specific information.
-    uint8_t      mHopLimit;            ///< The IPv6 hop limit.
-    bool         mIsHostInterface : 1; ///< TRUE if packets sent/received via host interface, FALSE otherwise.
+    otIp6Address mSockAddr;      ///< The local IPv6 address.
+    otIp6Address mPeerAddr;      ///< The peer IPv6 address.
+    uint16_t     mSockPort;      ///< The local transport-layer port.
+    uint16_t     mPeerPort;      ///< The peer transport-layer port.
+    const void * mLinkInfo;      ///< A pointer to link-specific information.
+    uint8_t      mHopLimit;      ///< The IPv6 Hop Limit value. Only applies if `mAllowZeroHopLimit` is FALSE.
+                                 ///< If `0`, IPv6 Hop Limit is default value `OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_IP6_HOP_LIMIT_DEFAULT`.
+                                 ///< Otherwise, specifies the IPv6 Hop Limit.
+    bool mIsHostInterface : 1;   ///< TRUE if packets sent/received via host interface, FALSE otherwise.
+    bool mAllowZeroHopLimit : 1; ///< TRUE to allow IPv6 Hop Limit 0 in `mHopLimit`, FALSE otherwise.
 } otMessageInfo;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
index ed18974eb..09fa915d9 100644
--- a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
@@ -460,7 +460,15 @@ otError Ip6::SendDatagram(Message &aMessage, MessageInfo &aMessageInfo, IpProto
     header.SetDscp(PriorityToDscp(aMessage.GetPriority()));
     header.SetPayloadLength(payloadLength);
     header.SetNextHeader(aIpProto);
-    header.SetHopLimit(aMessageInfo.mHopLimit ? aMessageInfo.mHopLimit : static_cast<uint8_t>(kDefaultHopLimit));
+
+    if (aMessageInfo.GetHopLimit() != 0 || aMessageInfo.ShouldAllowZeroHopLimit())
+    {
+        header.SetHopLimit(aMessageInfo.GetHopLimit());
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        header.SetHopLimit(static_cast<uint8_t>(kDefaultHopLimit));
+    }
 
     if (aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr().IsUnspecified() || aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr().IsMulticast())
     {
diff --git a/src/core/net/socket.hpp b/src/core/net/socket.hpp
index f59619d53..bbe0a82b3 100644
--- a/src/core/net/socket.hpp
+++ b/src/core/net/socket.hpp
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ public:
      */
     bool IsHostInterface(void) const { return mIsHostInterface; }
 
+    /**
+     * This method indicates whether or not to apply hop limit 0.
+     *
+     * @retval TRUE  if applying hop limit 0 when `mHopLimit` field is 0.
+     * @retval FALSE if applying default `OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_IP6_HOP_LIMIT_DEFAULT` when `mHopLimit` field is 0.
+     *
+     */
+    bool ShouldAllowZeroHopLimit(void) const { return mAllowZeroHopLimit; }
+
     /**
      * This method sets whether the peer is via the host interface.
      *