diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index 903735444..150297276 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -972,6 +972,11 @@ void Mle::SetRloc16(uint16_t aRloc16)
     }
 }
 
+void Mle::SetLeaderData(const LeaderData &aLeaderData)
+{
+    SetLeaderData(aLeaderData.GetPartitionId(), aLeaderData.GetWeighting(), aLeaderData.GetLeaderRouterId());
+}
+
 void Mle::SetLeaderData(uint32_t aPartitionId, uint8_t aWeighting, uint8_t aLeaderRouterId)
 {
     if (mLeaderData.GetPartitionId() != aPartitionId)
@@ -2821,7 +2826,7 @@ void Mle::HandleAdvertisement(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
         if ((leaderData.GetPartitionId() != mLeaderData.GetPartitionId()) ||
             (leaderData.GetLeaderRouterId() != GetLeaderId()))
         {
-            SetLeaderData(leaderData.GetPartitionId(), leaderData.GetWeighting(), leaderData.GetLeaderRouterId());
+            SetLeaderData(leaderData);
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD
             SuccessOrExit(error = Get<MleRouter>().ReadAndProcessRouteTlvOnFed(aRxInfo, mParent.GetRouterId()));
@@ -2920,7 +2925,7 @@ Error Mle::HandleLeaderData(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
     {
         if (IsChild())
         {
-            SetLeaderData(leaderData.GetPartitionId(), leaderData.GetWeighting(), leaderData.GetLeaderRouterId());
+            SetLeaderData(leaderData);
             mRetrieveNewNetworkData = true;
         }
         else
@@ -3397,7 +3402,7 @@ void Mle::HandleChildIdResponse(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
 
     SetStateDetached();
 
-    SetLeaderData(leaderData.GetPartitionId(), leaderData.GetWeighting(), leaderData.GetLeaderRouterId());
+    SetLeaderData(leaderData);
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD
     SuccessOrExit(error = Get<MleRouter>().ReadAndProcessRouteTlvOnFed(aRxInfo, RouterIdFromRloc16(sourceAddress)));
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.hpp b/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
index 873e33835..d3403650d 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
@@ -1257,6 +1257,7 @@ private:
     void       SetStateDetached(void);
     void       SetStateChild(uint16_t aRloc16);
     void       SetLeaderData(uint32_t aPartitionId, uint8_t aWeighting, uint8_t aLeaderRouterId);
+    void       SetLeaderData(const LeaderData &aLeaderData);
     void       InformPreviousChannel(void);
     bool       IsAnnounceAttach(void) const { return mAlternatePanId != Mac::kPanIdBroadcast; }
     void       ScheduleMessageTransmissionTimer(void);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 26c6541e7..8578d1de1 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ Error MleRouter::HandleLinkAccept(RxInfo &aRxInfo, bool aRequest)
         VerifyOrExit(GetRloc16() == address16, error = kErrorDrop);
 
         SuccessOrExit(error = aRxInfo.mMessage.ReadLeaderDataTlv(leaderData));
-        SetLeaderData(leaderData.GetPartitionId(), leaderData.GetWeighting(), leaderData.GetLeaderRouterId());
+        SetLeaderData(leaderData);
 
         mRouterTable.Clear();
         SuccessOrExit(error = aRxInfo.mMessage.ReadRouteTlv(routeTlv));