diff --git a/include/net/buf.h b/include/net/buf.h
index 442ebce399da44..778a42600717af 100644
--- a/include/net/buf.h
+++ b/include/net/buf.h
@@ -889,15 +889,6 @@ static inline void net_buf_simple_restore(struct net_buf_simple *buf,
 	buf->len = state->len;
 }
 
-/**
- * Flag indicating that the buffer has associated fragments. Only used
- * internally by the buffer handling code while the buffer is inside a
- * FIFO, meaning this never needs to be explicitly set or unset by the
- * net_buf API user. As long as the buffer is outside of a FIFO, i.e.
- * in practice always for the user for this API, the buf->frags pointer
- * should be used instead.
- */
-#define NET_BUF_FRAGS        BIT(0)
 /**
  * Flag indicating that the buffer's associated data pointer, points to
  * externally allocated memory. Therefore once ref goes down to zero, the
@@ -907,7 +898,7 @@ static inline void net_buf_simple_restore(struct net_buf_simple *buf,
  * Reference count mechanism however will behave the same way, and ref
  * count going to 0 will free the net_buf but no the data pointer in it.
  */
-#define NET_BUF_EXTERNAL_DATA  BIT(1)
+#define NET_BUF_EXTERNAL_DATA  BIT(0)
 
 /**
  * @brief Network buffer representation.
@@ -917,13 +908,11 @@ static inline void net_buf_simple_restore(struct net_buf_simple *buf,
  * using the net_buf_alloc() API.
  */
 struct net_buf {
-	union {
-		/** Allow placing the buffer into sys_slist_t */
-		sys_snode_t node;
+	/** Allow placing the buffer into sys_slist_t */
+	sys_snode_t node;
 
-		/** Fragments associated with this buffer. */
-		struct net_buf *frags;
-	};
+	/** Fragments associated with this buffer. */
+	struct net_buf *frags;
 
 	/** Reference count. */
 	uint8_t ref;
diff --git a/subsys/net/buf.c b/subsys/net/buf.c
index b7401ba53d5563..d65015c35fcfc0 100644
--- a/subsys/net/buf.c
+++ b/subsys/net/buf.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ struct net_buf *net_buf_get_debug(struct k_fifo *fifo, k_timeout_t timeout,
 struct net_buf *net_buf_get(struct k_fifo *fifo, k_timeout_t timeout)
 #endif
 {
-	struct net_buf *buf, *frag;
+	struct net_buf *buf;
 
 	NET_BUF_DBG("%s():%d: fifo %p", func, line, fifo);
 
@@ -416,18 +416,6 @@ struct net_buf *net_buf_get(struct k_fifo *fifo, k_timeout_t timeout)
 
 	NET_BUF_DBG("%s():%d: buf %p fifo %p", func, line, buf, fifo);
 
-	/* Get any fragments belonging to this buffer */
-	for (frag = buf; (frag->flags & NET_BUF_FRAGS); frag = frag->frags) {
-		frag->frags = k_fifo_get(fifo, K_NO_WAIT);
-		__ASSERT_NO_MSG(frag->frags);
-
-		/* The fragments flag is only for FIFO-internal usage */
-		frag->flags &= ~NET_BUF_FRAGS;
-	}
-
-	/* Mark the end of the fragment list */
-	frag->frags = NULL;
-
 	return buf;
 }
 
@@ -451,24 +439,19 @@ void net_buf_simple_reserve(struct net_buf_simple *buf, size_t reserve)
 
 void net_buf_slist_put(sys_slist_t *list, struct net_buf *buf)
 {
-	struct net_buf *tail;
 	unsigned int key;
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(list);
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(buf);
 
-	for (tail = buf; tail->frags; tail = tail->frags) {
-		tail->flags |= NET_BUF_FRAGS;
-	}
-
 	key = irq_lock();
-	sys_slist_append_list(list, &buf->node, &tail->node);
+	sys_slist_append(list, &buf->node);
 	irq_unlock(key);
 }
 
 struct net_buf *net_buf_slist_get(sys_slist_t *list)
 {
-	struct net_buf *buf, *frag;
+	struct net_buf *buf;
 	unsigned int key;
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(list);
@@ -477,40 +460,15 @@ struct net_buf *net_buf_slist_get(sys_slist_t *list)
 	buf = (void *)sys_slist_get(list);
 	irq_unlock(key);
 
-	if (!buf) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	/* Get any fragments belonging to this buffer */
-	for (frag = buf; (frag->flags & NET_BUF_FRAGS); frag = frag->frags) {
-		key = irq_lock();
-		frag->frags = (void *)sys_slist_get(list);
-		irq_unlock(key);
-
-		__ASSERT_NO_MSG(frag->frags);
-
-		/* The fragments flag is only for list-internal usage */
-		frag->flags &= ~NET_BUF_FRAGS;
-	}
-
-	/* Mark the end of the fragment list */
-	frag->frags = NULL;
-
 	return buf;
 }
 
 void net_buf_put(struct k_fifo *fifo, struct net_buf *buf)
 {
-	struct net_buf *tail;
-
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(fifo);
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(buf);
 
-	for (tail = buf; tail->frags; tail = tail->frags) {
-		tail->flags |= NET_BUF_FRAGS;
-	}
-
-	k_fifo_put_list(fifo, buf, tail);
+	k_fifo_put(fifo, buf);
 }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_NET_BUF_LOG)