diff --git a/include/linux/skbuff.h b/include/linux/skbuff.h
index 90cbd86152dabb2a194bfe5601f16619f2f916d0..d0b9f3846eabfceaab04359d796733e74ff3fd54 100644
--- a/include/linux/skbuff.h
+++ b/include/linux/skbuff.h
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ struct sk_buff_fclones {
 
 	struct sk_buff	skb2;
 
-	atomic_t	fclone_ref;
+	refcount_t	fclone_ref;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ static inline bool skb_fclone_busy(const struct sock *sk,
 	fclones = container_of(skb, struct sk_buff_fclones, skb1);
 
 	return skb->fclone == SKB_FCLONE_ORIG &&
-	       atomic_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) > 1 &&
+	       refcount_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) > 1 &&
 	       fclones->skb2.sk == sk;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/core/skbuff.c b/net/core/skbuff.c
index 45dc6620dd748afcc1cd229e9631dd69dd0efa83..659dfc0494c5b3cc9849de329e2b02c0a136a891 100644
--- a/net/core/skbuff.c
+++ b/net/core/skbuff.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ struct sk_buff *__alloc_skb(unsigned int size, gfp_t gfp_mask,
 
 		kmemcheck_annotate_bitfield(&fclones->skb2, flags1);
 		skb->fclone = SKB_FCLONE_ORIG;
-		atomic_set(&fclones->fclone_ref, 1);
+		refcount_set(&fclones->fclone_ref, 1);
 
 		fclones->skb2.fclone = SKB_FCLONE_CLONE;
 	}
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ static void kfree_skbmem(struct sk_buff *skb)
 		 * This test would have no chance to be true for the clone,
 		 * while here, branch prediction will be good.
 		 */
-		if (atomic_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) == 1)
+		if (refcount_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) == 1)
 			goto fastpath;
 		break;
 
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ static void kfree_skbmem(struct sk_buff *skb)
 		fclones = container_of(skb, struct sk_buff_fclones, skb2);
 		break;
 	}
-	if (!atomic_dec_and_test(&fclones->fclone_ref))
+	if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&fclones->fclone_ref))
 		return;
 fastpath:
 	kmem_cache_free(skbuff_fclone_cache, fclones);
@@ -1027,9 +1027,9 @@ struct sk_buff *skb_clone(struct sk_buff *skb, gfp_t gfp_mask)
 		return NULL;
 
 	if (skb->fclone == SKB_FCLONE_ORIG &&
-	    atomic_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) == 1) {
+	    refcount_read(&fclones->fclone_ref) == 1) {
 		n = &fclones->skb2;
-		atomic_set(&fclones->fclone_ref, 2);
+		refcount_set(&fclones->fclone_ref, 2);
 	} else {
 		if (skb_pfmemalloc(skb))
 			gfp_mask |= __GFP_MEMALLOC;