diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 13b0e3b547f09fec9dcbec224ba3ccd5e08906b6..934c840b5941f7885f1aeb27eed4e82925f4f1e5 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ static inline void release_net(struct net *net)
 #endif
 }
 
-extern void net_lock(void);
-extern void net_unlock(void);
-
 #define for_each_net(VAR)				\
 	list_for_each_entry(VAR, &net_namespace_list, list)
 
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index e478e353ea6b58f0cd09d9b4b5cae55e4b222e5a..0e0ca6d06fa576572c0f8bb679a4076e077c19ac 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ static LIST_HEAD(pernet_list);
 static struct list_head *first_device = &pernet_list;
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(net_mutex);
 
-static DEFINE_MUTEX(net_list_mutex);
 LIST_HEAD(net_namespace_list);
 
 static struct kmem_cache *net_cachep;
@@ -23,16 +22,6 @@ static struct kmem_cache *net_cachep;
 struct net init_net;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(init_net);
 
-void net_lock(void)
-{
-	mutex_lock(&net_list_mutex);
-}
-
-void net_unlock(void)
-{
-	mutex_unlock(&net_list_mutex);
-}
-
 static struct net *net_alloc(void)
 {
 	return kmem_cache_alloc(net_cachep, GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -62,9 +51,9 @@ static void cleanup_net(struct work_struct *work)
 	mutex_lock(&net_mutex);
 
 	/* Don't let anyone else find us. */
-	net_lock();
+	rtnl_lock();
 	list_del(&net->list);
-	net_unlock();
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	/* Run all of the network namespace exit methods */
 	list_for_each_entry_reverse(ops, &pernet_list, list) {
@@ -151,9 +140,9 @@ struct net *copy_net_ns(unsigned long flags, struct net *old_net)
 	if (err)
 		goto out_unlock;
 
-	net_lock();
+	rtnl_lock();
 	list_add_tail(&new_net->list, &net_namespace_list);
-	net_unlock();
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 
 out_unlock:
@@ -178,9 +167,9 @@ static int __init net_ns_init(void)
 	mutex_lock(&net_mutex);
 	err = setup_net(&init_net);
 
-	net_lock();
+	rtnl_lock();
 	list_add_tail(&init_net.list, &net_namespace_list);
-	net_unlock();
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	mutex_unlock(&net_mutex);
 	if (err)