diff --git a/include/Host.h b/include/Host.h
index 64069e894a..1f62dc31b7 100644
--- a/include/Host.h
+++ b/include/Host.h
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ class Host : public GenericHashEntry {
   char* printMask(char *str, u_int str_len) { return ip.printMask(str, str_len, isLocalHost()); };
   void freeHostData();
   virtual void deleteHostData();
+  char* get_mac_based_tskey(Mac *mac, char *buf, size_t bufsize);
  public:
   Host(NetworkInterface *_iface, char *ipAddress, u_int16_t _vlanId);
   Host(NetworkInterface *_iface, Mac *_mac, u_int16_t _vlanId, IpAddress *_ip);
diff --git a/include/LocalHost.h b/include/LocalHost.h
index 1ad3c6d2f6..edd33e7e2c 100644
--- a/include/LocalHost.h
+++ b/include/LocalHost.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class LocalHost : public Host {
   void freeLocalHostData();
   virtual void deleteHostData();
 
-  char * getMacBasedSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size);
+  char * getMacBasedSerializationKey(Mac *mac, char *redis_key, size_t size);
   char * getIpBasedSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size);
   bool deserialize();
   bool deserializeFromRedisKey(char *key);
diff --git a/src/Host.cpp b/src/Host.cpp
index 4e45cca3b6..7ad756590b 100644
--- a/src/Host.cpp
+++ b/src/Host.cpp
@@ -1342,6 +1342,17 @@ void Host::deleteHostData() {
 
 /* *************************************** */
 
+char* Host::get_mac_based_tskey(Mac *mac, char *buf, size_t bufsize) {
+  char *k = mac->print(buf, bufsize);
+
+  /* NOTE: it is important to differentiate between v4 and v6 for macs */
+  strncat(buf, get_ip()->isIPv4() ? "_v4" : "_v6", bufsize);
+
+  return(k);
+}
+
+/* *************************************** */
+
 /* TODO merge with get_hostkey after migrating alerts and other stuff */
 char* Host::get_tskey(char *buf, size_t bufsize) {
   char *k;
@@ -1349,10 +1360,7 @@ char* Host::get_tskey(char *buf, size_t bufsize) {
 
   if(cur_mac && isBroadcastDomainHost() &&
       ntop->getPrefs()->serialize_local_broadcast_hosts_as_macs()) {
-    k = cur_mac->print(buf, bufsize);
-
-    /* NOTE: it is important to differentiate between v4 and v6 for macs */
-    strncat(buf, get_ip()->isIPv4() ? "v4" : "v6", bufsize);
+    k = get_mac_based_tskey(cur_mac, buf, bufsize);
   } else
     k = get_hostkey(buf, bufsize);
 
diff --git a/src/LocalHost.cpp b/src/LocalHost.cpp
index fc202630b6..f5df19e92a 100644
--- a/src/LocalHost.cpp
+++ b/src/LocalHost.cpp
@@ -319,12 +319,12 @@ void LocalHost::deleteHostData() {
 
 /* *************************************** */
 
-char * LocalHost::getMacBasedSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size) {
+char * LocalHost::getMacBasedSerializationKey(Mac *mac, char *redis_key, size_t size) {
   char buf[CONST_MAX_LEN_REDIS_KEY];
-  Mac *mac = getMac();
+  
 
   snprintf(redis_key, size, HOST_BY_MAC_SERIALIZED_KEY,
-      iface->get_id(), mac ? mac->print(buf, sizeof(buf)) : get_tskey(buf, sizeof(buf)));
+      iface->get_id(), get_mac_based_tskey(mac, buf, sizeof(buf)));
 
   return redis_key;
 }
@@ -342,9 +342,11 @@ char * LocalHost::getIpBasedSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size) {
 /* *************************************** */
 
 char* LocalHost::getSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size) {
-  if(isBroadcastDomainHost() && getMac() &&
+  Mac *mac = getMac();
+
+  if(isBroadcastDomainHost() && mac &&
       ntop->getPrefs()->serialize_local_broadcast_hosts_as_macs())
-    return getMacBasedSerializationKey(redis_key, size);
+    return getMacBasedSerializationKey(mac, redis_key, size);
 
   return(getIpBasedSerializationKey(redis_key, size));
 }
@@ -353,10 +355,11 @@ char* LocalHost::getSerializationKey(char *redis_key, size_t size) {
 
 bool LocalHost::deserialize() {
   char redis_key[CONST_MAX_LEN_REDIS_KEY], *k = NULL;
+  Mac *mac = getMac();
 
   /* First try to deserialize with the mac based key */
-  if(getMac() && ntop->getPrefs()->serialize_local_broadcast_hosts_as_macs()) {
-    k = getMacBasedSerializationKey(redis_key, sizeof(redis_key));
+  if(mac && ntop->getPrefs()->serialize_local_broadcast_hosts_as_macs()) {
+    k = getMacBasedSerializationKey(mac, redis_key, sizeof(redis_key));
 
     if(deserializeFromRedisKey(k)) {
       setBroadcastDomainHost();