diff --git a/examples/ipa-stream-client.c b/examples/ipa-stream-client.c
index db7d441..cb07ef6 100644
--- a/examples/ipa-stream-client.c
+++ b/examples/ipa-stream-client.c
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ static int connect_cb(struct osmo_stream_cli *conn)
 		msg_sent->num = i;
 		llist_add(&msg_sent->head, &msg_sent_list);
 
-		ipa_prepend_header_ext(msg, IPAC_PROTO_EXT_MGCP);
-		osmo_ipa_msg_push_header(msg, IPAC_PROTO_OSMO);
-
+		osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(msg, osmo_ipa_msgb_cb_proto(msg), osmo_ipa_msgb_cb_proto_ext(msg));
 		osmo_stream_cli_send(conn, msg);
 
 		LOGP(DIPATEST, LOGL_DEBUG, "enqueueing msg %d of "
diff --git a/examples/ipa-stream-server.c b/examples/ipa-stream-server.c
index d31b752..5317921 100644
--- a/examples/ipa-stream-server.c
+++ b/examples/ipa-stream-server.c
@@ -51,9 +51,7 @@ int read_cb(struct osmo_stream_srv *conn, struct msgb *msg)
 {
 	LOGP(DSTREAMTEST, LOGL_DEBUG, "received message from stream (payload len=%d)\n", msgb_length(msg));
 
-	ipa_prepend_header_ext(msg, IPAC_PROTO_EXT_MGCP);
-	osmo_ipa_msg_push_header(msg, IPAC_PROTO_OSMO);
-
+	osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(msg, osmo_ipa_msgb_cb_proto(msg), osmo_ipa_msgb_cb_proto_ext(msg));
 	osmo_stream_srv_send(conn, msg);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/include/osmocom/netif/ipa.h b/include/osmocom/netif/ipa.h
index 7826895..038b9ac 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/netif/ipa.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/netif/ipa.h
@@ -65,4 +65,6 @@ int osmo_ipa_parse_msg_id_resp(struct msgb *msg, struct ipaccess_unit *unit_data
 
 int osmo_ipa_segmentation_cb(struct msgb *msg);
 
+void osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(struct msgb *msg, enum ipaccess_proto p, enum ipaccess_proto_ext pe);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/ipa.c b/src/ipa.c
index a67521f..8720427 100644
--- a/src/ipa.c
+++ b/src/ipa.c
@@ -436,3 +436,15 @@ int osmo_ipa_segmentation_cb(struct msgb *msg)
 	}
 	return total_len;
 }
+
+/*! Push IPA headers to a message
+ *  If we have IPAC_PROTO_OSMO this also takes care of the extension header
+ *  \param[out] msg	Target message
+ *  \param p		Target IPA protocol
+ *  \param pe		Target IPA protocol extension. Ignored, unless p equals IPAC_PROTO_OSMO. */
+void osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(struct msgb *msg, enum ipaccess_proto p, enum ipaccess_proto_ext pe)
+{
+	if (p == IPAC_PROTO_OSMO)
+		ipa_prepend_header_ext(msg, pe);
+	osmo_ipa_msg_push_header(msg, p);
+}
diff --git a/tests/stream/stream_test.c b/tests/stream/stream_test.c
index 960d8fa..4830302 100644
--- a/tests/stream/stream_test.c
+++ b/tests/stream/stream_test.c
@@ -384,12 +384,17 @@ static const uint8_t ipac_msg_pong[] = {
 	IPAC_PROTO_IPACCESS,
 	IPAC_MSGT_PONG
 };
+#define IPAC_MSG_IDREQ_PAYLOAD_INITIALIZER \
+	IPAC_MSGT_ID_GET, \
+	0x01, IPAC_IDTAG_UNITNAME
+static const uint8_t ipac_msg_idreq_payload[] = {
+	IPAC_MSG_IDREQ_PAYLOAD_INITIALIZER
+};
 #define IPAC_MSG_ID_REQ_LEN 0x03
 static const uint8_t ipac_msg_idreq[] = {
 	0x00, IPAC_MSG_ID_REQ_LEN,
 	IPAC_PROTO_IPACCESS,
-	IPAC_MSGT_ID_GET,
-	0x01, IPAC_IDTAG_UNITNAME
+	IPAC_MSG_IDREQ_PAYLOAD_INITIALIZER
 };
 #define ipac_msg_idreq_third (sizeof(ipac_msg_idreq)/3)
 #define ipac_msg_idreq_last_third (sizeof(ipac_msg_idreq) - 2 * ipac_msg_idreq_third)
@@ -574,7 +579,8 @@ int test_segm_ipa_stream_srv_srv_read_cb(struct osmo_stream_srv *conn, struct ms
 			fprintf(stderr, "Cannot allocate message\n");
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
-		put_ipa_msg(data, m, ipac_msg_idreq);
+		put_ipa_msg(data, m, ipac_msg_idreq_payload);
+		osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(m, IPAC_PROTO_IPACCESS, -1);
 		osmo_stream_srv_send(conn, m);
 	} else if (msgnum_srv == 7 && *msgt == IPAC_MSGT_PONG) {
 		test_segm_ipa_stream_srv_all_msgs_processed = true;
@@ -766,7 +772,8 @@ static int test_segm_ipa_stream_cli_cli_read_cb(struct osmo_stream_cli *osc, str
 			fprintf(stderr, "Cannot allocate message\n");
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
-		put_ipa_msg(data, m, ipac_msg_idreq);
+		put_ipa_msg(data, m, ipac_msg_idreq_payload);
+		osmo_ipa_msg_push_headers(m, IPAC_PROTO_IPACCESS, -1);
 		osmo_stream_cli_send(osc, m);
 	} else if (msgnum_cli == 7 && *msgt == IPAC_MSGT_PONG) {
 		test_segm_ipa_stream_cli_all_msgs_processed = true;