diff --git a/drivers/virtio/ring/include/virtio/virtio_ring.h b/drivers/virtio/ring/include/virtio/virtio_ring.h
index 78bafdf841..e5da3afeb5 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio/ring/include/virtio/virtio_ring.h
+++ b/drivers/virtio/ring/include/virtio/virtio_ring.h
@@ -157,7 +157,9 @@ struct vring {
  * versa. They are at the end for backwards compatibility.
  */
 #define vring_used_event(vr) ((vr)->avail->ring[(vr)->num])
-#define vring_avail_event(vr) (*(__virtio16 *)&(vr)->used->ring[(vr)->num])
+typedef __virtio_le16 __may_alias __virtio_le16_ma;
+#define vring_avail_event(vr) \
+	(*(__virtio_le16_ma *)&(vr)->used->ring[(vr)->num])
 
 static inline void vring_init(struct vring *vr, unsigned int num, uint8_t *p,
 			      unsigned long align)
diff --git a/include/uk/essentials.h b/include/uk/essentials.h
index 43c7ed30f4..22b8ae518f 100644
--- a/include/uk/essentials.h
+++ b/include/uk/essentials.h
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ extern "C" {
 #ifndef __check_result
 #define __check_result         __attribute__((warn_unused_result))
 #endif
+#ifndef __may_alias
+#define __may_alias            __attribute__((may_alias))
+#endif
 
 #ifndef __alias
 #define __alias(old, new) \