diff --git a/src/core/xfer.c b/src/core/xfer.c
index 14c77d64..9ed19da2 100644
--- a/src/core/xfer.c
+++ b/src/core/xfer.c
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@
  *
  */
 
+/**
+ * Dummy transfer metadata
+ *
+ * This gets passed to xfer_interface::deliver_iob() and equivalents
+ * when no metadata is available.
+ */
+static struct xfer_metadata dummy_metadata;
+
 /**
  * Close data transfer interface
  *
@@ -159,7 +167,6 @@ int xfer_deliver_iob_meta ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
  */
 int xfer_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
 		       struct io_buffer *iobuf ) {
-	static struct xfer_metadata dummy_metadata;
 	return xfer_deliver_iob_meta ( xfer, iobuf, &dummy_metadata );
 }
 
@@ -366,7 +373,7 @@ int xfer_deliver_as_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	memcpy ( iob_put ( iobuf, len ), data, len );
-	return xfer->op->deliver_iob ( xfer, iobuf, NULL );
+	return xfer->op->deliver_iob ( xfer, iobuf, &dummy_metadata );
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/net/tcp.c b/src/net/tcp.c
index 094317b3..6bcd193c 100644
--- a/src/net/tcp.c
+++ b/src/net/tcp.c
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ static size_t tcp_xfer_window ( struct xfer_interface *xfer ) {
  *
  * @v xfer		Data transfer interface
  * @v iobuf		Datagram I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Data transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Data transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int tcp_xfer_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
diff --git a/src/net/tcp/ftp.c b/src/net/tcp/ftp.c
index 82dc19ca..445e32bb 100644
--- a/src/net/tcp/ftp.c
+++ b/src/net/tcp/ftp.c
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ static void ftp_data_closed ( struct xfer_interface *data, int rc ) {
  *
  * @v xfer		FTP data channel interface
  * @v iobuf		I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Data transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Data transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int ftp_data_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *data,
diff --git a/src/net/tcp/http.c b/src/net/tcp/http.c
index 57487308..0191750b 100644
--- a/src/net/tcp/http.c
+++ b/src/net/tcp/http.c
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ static int http_rx_data ( struct http_request *http,
  *
  * @v socket		Transport layer interface
  * @v iobuf		I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Data transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Data transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int http_socket_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *socket,
diff --git a/src/net/udp.c b/src/net/udp.c
index 57edb9c6..c3a1eba3 100644
--- a/src/net/udp.c
+++ b/src/net/udp.c
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ static struct io_buffer * udp_alloc_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
  *
  * @v xfer		Data transfer interface
  * @v iobuf		Datagram I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Data transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Data transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int udp_xfer_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
@@ -398,19 +398,10 @@ static int udp_xfer_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
 				  struct xfer_metadata *meta ) {
 	struct udp_connection *udp =
 		container_of ( xfer, struct udp_connection, xfer );
-	struct sockaddr_tcpip *src = NULL;
-	struct sockaddr_tcpip *dest = NULL;
-	struct net_device *netdev = NULL;
-
-	/* Apply xfer metadata */
-	if ( meta ) {
-		src = ( struct sockaddr_tcpip * ) meta->src;
-		dest = ( struct sockaddr_tcpip * ) meta->dest;
-		netdev = meta->netdev;
-	}
 
 	/* Transmit data, if possible */
-	udp_tx ( udp, iobuf, src, dest, netdev );
+	udp_tx ( udp, iobuf, ( ( struct sockaddr_tcpip * ) meta->src ),
+		 ( ( struct sockaddr_tcpip * ) meta->dest ), meta->netdev );
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/net/udp/dhcp.c b/src/net/udp/dhcp.c
index d1492146..776635c2 100644
--- a/src/net/udp/dhcp.c
+++ b/src/net/udp/dhcp.c
@@ -1052,12 +1052,6 @@ static int dhcp_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
 	int rc = 0;
 
 	/* Sanity checks */
-	if ( ! meta ) {
-		DBGC ( dhcp, "DHCP %p received packet without metadata\n",
-		       dhcp );
-		rc = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_no_meta;
-	}
 	if ( ! meta->src ) {
 		DBGC ( dhcp, "DHCP %p received packet without source port\n",
 		       dhcp );
@@ -1106,7 +1100,6 @@ static int dhcp_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *xfer,
 	dhcppkt_put ( dhcppkt );
  err_alloc_dhcppkt:
  err_no_src:
- err_no_meta:
 	free_iob ( iobuf );
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/src/net/udp/tftp.c b/src/net/udp/tftp.c
index ec6b1b40..19525f79 100644
--- a/src/net/udp/tftp.c
+++ b/src/net/udp/tftp.c
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ static int tftp_rx_error ( struct tftp_request *tftp, void *buf, size_t len ) {
  *
  * @v tftp		TFTP connection
  * @v iobuf		I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int tftp_rx ( struct tftp_request *tftp,
@@ -856,11 +856,6 @@ static int tftp_rx ( struct tftp_request *tftp,
 		       "%zd\n", tftp, len );
 		goto done;
 	}
-	if ( ! meta ) {
-		DBGC ( tftp, "TFTP %p received packet without metadata\n",
-		       tftp );
-		goto done;
-	}
 	if ( ! meta->src ) {
 		DBGC ( tftp, "TFTP %p received packet without source port\n",
 		       tftp );
@@ -907,7 +902,7 @@ static int tftp_rx ( struct tftp_request *tftp,
  *
  * @v socket		Transport layer interface
  * @v iobuf		I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int tftp_socket_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *socket,
@@ -951,7 +946,7 @@ static struct xfer_interface_operations tftp_socket_operations = {
  *
  * @v mc_socket		Multicast transport layer interface
  * @v iobuf		I/O buffer
- * @v meta		Transfer metadata, or NULL
+ * @v meta		Transfer metadata
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 static int tftp_mc_socket_deliver_iob ( struct xfer_interface *mc_socket,