diff --git a/drivers/net/dummy.c b/drivers/net/dummy.c
index 30b1c85120490afb487f7d28e88f52ff9cf5860b..0d15a12a4560b37a4ed21d8e4bdd3bb853adb894 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dummy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dummy.c
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ static int __init dummy_init_module(void)
 {
 	int i, err = 0;
 
+	down_write(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
 	rtnl_lock();
 	err = __rtnl_link_register(&dummy_link_ops);
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -233,6 +234,7 @@ static int __init dummy_init_module(void)
 
 out:
 	rtnl_unlock();
+	up_write(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
 
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ifb.c b/drivers/net/ifb.c
index 0008da7e9d4cc5f3d716803dd8855bd1a341f516..5f2897ec0edc516fcd846d0384f71888641d9b05 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ifb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ifb.c
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ static int __init ifb_init_module(void)
 {
 	int i, err;
 
+	down_write(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
 	rtnl_lock();
 	err = __rtnl_link_register(&ifb_link_ops);
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -344,6 +345,7 @@ static int __init ifb_init_module(void)
 
 out:
 	rtnl_unlock();
+	up_write(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
 
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 7fdf321d4997d1da2541cccbe158a74daeafd7f3..a11e03f920d3a7d9d50a37f699ffd66a26a8a057 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ static bool init_net_initialized;
  * outside.
  */
 DECLARE_RWSEM(pernet_ops_rwsem);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pernet_ops_rwsem);
 
 #define MIN_PERNET_OPS_ID	\
 	((sizeof(struct net_generic) + sizeof(void *) - 1) / sizeof(void *))
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index e86b28482ca71d192e62bde5deb1f8ba41a14a3a..45936922d7e231acaad4dc06ebf445b5c1149b20 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -412,17 +412,17 @@ static void __rtnl_kill_links(struct net *net, struct rtnl_link_ops *ops)
  * __rtnl_link_unregister - Unregister rtnl_link_ops from rtnetlink.
  * @ops: struct rtnl_link_ops * to unregister
  *
- * The caller must hold the rtnl_mutex.
+ * The caller must hold the rtnl_mutex and guarantee net_namespace_list
+ * integrity (hold pernet_ops_rwsem for writing to close the race
+ * with setup_net() and cleanup_net()).
  */
 void __rtnl_link_unregister(struct rtnl_link_ops *ops)
 {
 	struct net *net;
 
-	down_read(&net_rwsem);
 	for_each_net(net) {
 		__rtnl_kill_links(net, ops);
 	}
-	up_read(&net_rwsem);
 	list_del(&ops->list);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__rtnl_link_unregister);