Aspects of the embodiments are directed to receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request message from a requesting virtual machine, the ARP request message comprising a request for a destination address for a destination virtual machine, wherein the destination address comprises one or both of a destination hardware address or a destination media access control address; augmenting the ARP request message with a network service header (NSH), the NSH identifying an ARP service function; and forwarding the augmented ARP request to the ARP service function.