A network device includes a memory, a routing engine and a forwarding engine. The memory stores a forwarding table and the routing engine constructs a first composite next hop that includes multiple next hops, where each of the multiple next hops represents an action to be taken on a data unit as it transits the network device or represents another composite next hop, and where the first composite next hop specifies a function to be performed on the plurality of next hops. The routing engine further stores the composite next hop in an entry of the forwarding table. The forwarding engine retrieves the composite next hop from the forwarding table, and forwards a data unit towards one or more network destinations based on the composite next hop.