diff --git a/components/esp_eth/include/esp_eth.h b/components/esp_eth/include/esp_eth.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d37353550b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esp_eth/include/esp_eth.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+#pragma once
+
+/**
+ * Purpose of this file is to create a common header for the typical ethernet usecase,
+ * so using the ethernet driver and the default glue layer to its network interface.
+ *
+ * If you prefer to create a custom network interface or use the Ethernet as a driver only,
+ * then it is recommended to include the "esp_eth_driver.h" only.
+ */
+#include "esp_eth_driver.h"
+#include "esp_eth_netif_glue.h"
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esp_netif/CMakeLists.txt
index 44c9ef8e0d..c18bd3552b 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/esp_netif/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ set(srcs
     "esp_netif_handlers.c"
     "esp_netif_objects.c"
     "esp_netif_defaults.c"
-    "vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c"
     "lwip/esp_netif_lwip.c"
     "lwip/esp_netif_lwip_defaults.c"
     "lwip/esp_netif_sta_list.c")
@@ -33,7 +32,17 @@ list(APPEND srcs
     "loopback/esp_netif_loopback.c")
 endif()
 
+if(CONFIG_ESP_NETIF_L2_TAP)
+list(APPEND srcs
+    "vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c")
+endif()
+
 idf_component_register(SRCS "${srcs}"
                     INCLUDE_DIRS "${include_dirs}"
                     PRIV_INCLUDE_DIRS "${priv_include_dirs}"
-                    REQUIRES lwip esp_eth)
+                    REQUIRES lwip)
+
+
+if(CONFIG_ESP_NETIF_L2_TAP)
+idf_component_optional_requires(PRIVATE esp_eth)
+endif()
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_defaults.c b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_defaults.c
index 3a1297da18..70cefa4961 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_defaults.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_defaults.c
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 
 #include "esp_netif.h"
 #include "esp_wifi_default.h"
-#if CONFIG_ETH_ENABLED
-#include "esp_eth.h"
-#endif
 
 //
 // Purpose of this module is to provide
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h b/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
index d0d076626e..bd0f2847b5 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
+++ b/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
@@ -14,10 +14,6 @@
 #include "esp_netif_types.h"
 #include "esp_netif_defaults.h"
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_ETH_ENABLED
-#include "esp_eth_netif_glue.h"
-#endif
-
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/test/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esp_netif/test/CMakeLists.txt
index c6b2652edd..1015ae9683 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/esp_netif/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 idf_component_register(SRC_DIRS "."
                     PRIV_INCLUDE_DIRS  "../private_include" "."
-                    PRIV_REQUIRES cmock test_utils esp_netif nvs_flash driver)
+                    PRIV_REQUIRES cmock test_utils esp_netif nvs_flash driver esp_eth)
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c b/components/esp_netif/vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c
index e6e93800d0..45af6099a3 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/vfs_l2tap/esp_vfs_l2tap.c
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "esp_check.h"
 #include "esp_netif.h"
+#include "esp_eth.h"
 
 #include "freertos/FreeRTOS.h"
 #include "freertos/semphr.h"
 #include "freertos/queue.h"
 
-#if CONFIG_ESP_NETIF_L2_TAP
 
 #define INVALID_FD          (-1)
 
@@ -624,4 +624,3 @@ esp_err_t esp_vfs_l2tap_intf_unregister(const char *base_path)
 
     return ESP_OK;
 }
-#endif // CONFIG_ESP_NETIF_L2_TAP
diff --git a/components/mdns/CMakeLists.txt b/components/mdns/CMakeLists.txt
index cb3ed49960..bdb439fce9 100644
--- a/components/mdns/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/mdns/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,3 +20,7 @@ idf_component_register(
         PRIV_INCLUDE_DIRS "private_include"
         REQUIRES ${dependencies}
         PRIV_REQUIRES ${private_dependencies})
+
+if(CONFIG_ETH_ENABLED)
+    idf_component_optional_requires(PRIVATE esp_eth)
+endif()
diff --git a/components/mdns/mdns.c b/components/mdns/mdns.c
index 15b32e3388..71cb073244 100644
--- a/components/mdns/mdns.c
+++ b/components/mdns/mdns.c
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
 #include "mdns_networking.h"
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "esp_random.h"
+#if CONFIG_ETH_ENABLED
+#include "esp_eth.h"
+#endif
+
 
 #ifdef MDNS_ENABLE_DEBUG
 void mdns_debug_packet(const uint8_t * data, size_t len);
diff --git a/components/mqtt/test/CMakeLists.txt b/components/mqtt/test/CMakeLists.txt
index a86bbd002c..a5b760667b 100644
--- a/components/mqtt/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/mqtt/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 idf_component_register(SRC_DIRS "."
-                    PRIV_REQUIRES cmock test_utils mqtt nvs_flash app_update)
+                    PRIV_REQUIRES cmock test_utils mqtt nvs_flash app_update esp_eth)
diff --git a/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f9317e17d..5f903a75d0 100644
--- a/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 idf_component_register(SRCS "connect.c" "stdin_out.c" "addr_from_stdin.c"
                     INCLUDE_DIRS "include"
-                    PRIV_REQUIRES esp_netif driver
+                    PRIV_REQUIRES esp_netif driver esp_eth
                     )
diff --git a/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/include/protocol_examples_common.h b/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/include/protocol_examples_common.h
index 7afc78a745..d43e94e0d0 100644
--- a/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/include/protocol_examples_common.h
+++ b/examples/common_components/protocol_examples_common/include/protocol_examples_common.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "esp_err.h"
 #include "esp_netif.h"
+#include "esp_eth.h"
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_EXAMPLE_CONNECT_ETHERNET
 #define EXAMPLE_INTERFACE get_example_netif()
diff --git a/examples/ethernet/enc28j60/components/eth_enc28j60/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/ethernet/enc28j60/components/eth_enc28j60/CMakeLists.txt
index 1ee84a2a4a..64babbe55b 100644
--- a/examples/ethernet/enc28j60/components/eth_enc28j60/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/ethernet/enc28j60/components/eth_enc28j60/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 idf_component_register(SRCS "esp_eth_mac_enc28j60.c"
                             "esp_eth_phy_enc28j60.c"
-                       PRIV_REQUIRES driver
+                       PRIV_REQUIRES driver esp_eth
                        INCLUDE_DIRS ".")
diff --git a/examples/ethernet/eth2ap/main/ethernet_example_main.c b/examples/ethernet/eth2ap/main/ethernet_example_main.c
index 4f11e4591b..a5ca36fe1f 100644
--- a/examples/ethernet/eth2ap/main/ethernet_example_main.c
+++ b/examples/ethernet/eth2ap/main/ethernet_example_main.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include "freertos/queue.h"
 #include "esp_event.h"
 #include "esp_log.h"
-#include "esp_eth.h"
+#include "esp_eth_driver.h"
 #include "esp_wifi.h"
 #include "nvs_flash.h"
 #include "esp_private/wifi.h"
diff --git a/examples/network/simple_sniffer/main/cmd_sniffer.h b/examples/network/simple_sniffer/main/cmd_sniffer.h
index d20085a127..ae0563efc1 100644
--- a/examples/network/simple_sniffer/main/cmd_sniffer.h
+++ b/examples/network/simple_sniffer/main/cmd_sniffer.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 */
 #pragma once
 
+#include "esp_eth.h"
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif