diff --git a/repos/os/include/os/packet_stream.h b/repos/os/include/os/packet_stream.h
index 7705670654..7a7a498b26 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/os/packet_stream.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/os/packet_stream.h
@@ -639,6 +639,10 @@ class Genode::Packet_stream_source : private Packet_stream_base
 		class Saturated_submit_queue : Exception { };
 		class Empty_ack_queue        : Exception { };
 
+		enum class Alloc_packet_error { FAILED };
+
+		using Alloc_packet_result = Attempt<Packet_descriptor, Alloc_packet_error>;
+
 		/**
 		 * Constructor
 		 *
@@ -726,6 +730,29 @@ class Genode::Packet_stream_source : private Packet_stream_base
 					throw Packet_alloc_failed(); });
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Allocate packet without throwing exceptions
+		 *
+		 * \param size   size of packet in bytes
+		 * \param align  alignment of packet as log2 value, default is 1 byte
+		 * \return       an Attempt object that either contains an error or a
+		 *               packet descriptor with an assigned range within the
+		 *               bulk buffer shared between source and sink
+		 */
+		Alloc_packet_result alloc_packet_attempt(Genode::size_t size, unsigned align = PACKET_ALIGNMENT)
+		{
+			if (size == 0)
+				return Packet_descriptor(0, 0);
+
+			return _packet_alloc.alloc_aligned(size, align).convert<Alloc_packet_result>(
+
+				[&] (void *base) {
+					return Packet_descriptor((Genode::off_t)base, size); },
+
+				[&] (Allocator::Alloc_error) {
+					return Alloc_packet_error::FAILED; });
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * Get pointer to the content of the specified packet
 		 *
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
index 24e6d7b270..f7a6282b52 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
@@ -1850,15 +1850,6 @@ void Interface::send(Ethernet_frame &eth,
 }
 
 
-void Interface::_send_alloc_pkt(Packet_descriptor &pkt,
-                                void            * &pkt_base,
-                                size_t             pkt_size)
-{
-	pkt      = _source.alloc_packet(pkt_size);
-	pkt_base = _source.packet_content(pkt);
-}
-
-
 void Interface::_send_submit_pkt(Packet_descriptor &pkt,
                                  void            * &pkt_base,
                                  size_t             pkt_size)
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
index 117e1e2a73..9661c3f160 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
@@ -307,10 +307,6 @@ class Net::Interface : private Interface_list::Element
 
 		void _ack_packet(Packet_descriptor const &pkt);
 
-		void _send_alloc_pkt(Genode::Packet_descriptor   &pkt,
-		                     void                      * &pkt_base,
-		                     Genode::size_t               pkt_size);
-
 		void _send_submit_pkt(Genode::Packet_descriptor   &pkt,
 		                      void                      * &pkt_base,
 		                      Genode::size_t               pkt_size);
@@ -402,18 +398,19 @@ class Net::Interface : private Interface_list::Element
 				_failed_to_send_packet_submit();
 				return;
 			}
-			try {
-				Packet_descriptor  pkt;
-				void              *pkt_base;
-
-				_send_alloc_pkt(pkt, pkt_base, pkt_size);
-				Size_guard size_guard(pkt_size);
-				write_to_pkt(pkt_base, size_guard);
-				_send_submit_pkt(pkt, pkt_base, pkt_size);
-			}
-			catch (Packet_stream_source::Packet_alloc_failed) {
-				_failed_to_send_packet_alloc();
-			}
+			_source.alloc_packet_attempt(pkt_size).with_result(
+				[&] (Packet_descriptor pkt)
+				{
+					void *pkt_base { _source.packet_content(pkt) };
+					Size_guard size_guard(pkt_size);
+					write_to_pkt(pkt_base, size_guard);
+					_send_submit_pkt(pkt, pkt_base, pkt_size);
+				},
+				[&] (Packet_stream_source::Alloc_packet_error)
+				{
+					_failed_to_send_packet_alloc();
+				}
+			);
 		}
 
 		void send(Ethernet_frame &eth,