diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index ebc27560012591a7f4034a1443bf6e4cc97c4643..55befe59e1c038c01abe63ebc2b1e5d00a84a886 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -517,16 +517,17 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_alloc);
 static void nf_conntrack_free_rcu(struct rcu_head *head)
 {
 	struct nf_conn *ct = container_of(head, struct nf_conn, rcu);
-	struct net *net = nf_ct_net(ct);
 
 	nf_ct_ext_free(ct);
 	kmem_cache_free(nf_conntrack_cachep, ct);
-	atomic_dec(&net->ct.count);
 }
 
 void nf_conntrack_free(struct nf_conn *ct)
 {
+	struct net *net = nf_ct_net(ct);
+
 	nf_ct_ext_destroy(ct);
+	atomic_dec(&net->ct.count);
 	call_rcu(&ct->rcu, nf_conntrack_free_rcu);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_free);