diff --git a/src/core/thread/lowpan.hpp b/src/core/thread/lowpan.hpp
index 21a70695b..e9853c21d 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/lowpan.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/lowpan.hpp
@@ -297,12 +297,6 @@ private:
 class MeshHeader
 {
 public:
-    /**
-     * The additional value that is added to predicted value of the route cost.
-     *
-     */
-    static constexpr uint8_t kAdditionalHopsLeft = 1;
-
     /**
      * This method initializes the Mesh Header with a given Mesh Source, Mesh Destination and Hops Left value.
      *
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index 4521d7320..877528e6f 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -965,9 +965,7 @@ start:
     // Initialize Mesh header
     if (aAddMeshHeader)
     {
-        Mle::MleRouter    &mle = Get<Mle::MleRouter>();
         Lowpan::MeshHeader meshHeader;
-        uint8_t            hopsLeft;
         uint16_t           maxPayloadLength;
 
         // Mesh Header frames are forwarded by routers over multiple
@@ -990,35 +988,7 @@ start:
 
         frameBuilder.Init(aFrame.GetPayload(), maxPayloadLength);
 
-        if (mle.IsChild())
-        {
-            // REED sets hopsLeft to max (16) + 1. It does not know the route cost.
-            hopsLeft = Mle::kMaxRouteCost + 1;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            // Calculate the number of predicted hops.
-            hopsLeft = mle.GetRouteCost(aMeshDest);
-
-            if (hopsLeft != Mle::kMaxRouteCost)
-            {
-                hopsLeft += mle.GetLinkCost(Mle::RouterIdFromRloc16(mle.GetNextHop(aMeshDest)));
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                // In case there is no route to the destination router (only link).
-                hopsLeft = mle.GetLinkCost(Mle::RouterIdFromRloc16(aMeshDest));
-            }
-        }
-
-        // The hopsLft field MUST be incremented by one if the
-        // destination RLOC16 is not that of an active Router.
-        if (!Mle::IsActiveRouter(aMeshDest))
-        {
-            hopsLeft += 1;
-        }
-
-        meshHeader.Init(aMeshSource, aMeshDest, hopsLeft + Lowpan::MeshHeader::kAdditionalHopsLeft);
+        meshHeader.Init(aMeshSource, aMeshDest, kMeshHeaderHopsLeft);
 
         IgnoreError(meshHeader.AppendTo(frameBuilder));
     }
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
index 4422bf637..e836e027f 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
@@ -334,6 +334,12 @@ private:
     static constexpr uint8_t kMeshHeaderFrameMtu     = OT_RADIO_FRAME_MAX_SIZE; // Max MTU with a Mesh Header frame.
     static constexpr uint8_t kMeshHeaderFrameFcsSize = sizeof(uint16_t);        // Frame FCS size for Mesh Header frame.
 
+    // Hops left to use in lowpan mesh header: We use `kMaxRouteCost` as
+    // max hops between routers within Thread  mesh. We then add two
+    // for possibility of source or destination being a child
+    // (requiring one hop) and one as additional guard increment.
+    static constexpr uint8_t kMeshHeaderHopsLeft = Mle::kMaxRouteCost + 3;
+
     static constexpr uint32_t kTxDelayInterval = OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAC_COLLISION_AVOIDANCE_DELAY_INTERVAL; // In msec
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE