diff --git a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.h b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.h
index f8060ab5a0839d39373249d778db5b8e1fbe6830..66d65a7caa394164776c8559d3c5bd41c55bc8d8 100644
--- a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.h
+++ b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.h
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ struct nf_conntrack_helper
 	unsigned int expect_class_max;
 };
 
-extern struct nf_conntrack_helper *
-__nf_ct_helper_find(const struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple);
-
 extern struct nf_conntrack_helper *
 __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(const char *name);
 
@@ -49,6 +46,8 @@ extern void nf_conntrack_helper_unregister(struct nf_conntrack_helper *);
 
 extern struct nf_conn_help *nf_ct_helper_ext_add(struct nf_conn *ct, gfp_t gfp);
 
+extern int __nf_ct_try_assign_helper(struct nf_conn *ct, gfp_t flags);
+
 static inline struct nf_conn_help *nfct_help(const struct nf_conn *ct)
 {
 	return nf_ct_ext_find(ct, NF_CT_EXT_HELPER);
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index 622d7c671cb78533082f9bf0b655a3bbffcd2f92..1e649fb9e0df2faba34e4f7bde17ffb1ab51fe68 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -588,14 +588,7 @@ init_conntrack(struct net *net,
 		nf_conntrack_get(&ct->master->ct_general);
 		NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, expect_new);
 	} else {
-		struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
-
-		helper = __nf_ct_helper_find(&repl_tuple);
-		if (helper) {
-			help = nf_ct_helper_ext_add(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
-			if (help)
-				rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, helper);
-		}
+		__nf_ct_try_assign_helper(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
 		NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, new);
 	}
 
@@ -772,7 +765,6 @@ void nf_conntrack_alter_reply(struct nf_conn *ct,
 			      const struct nf_conntrack_tuple *newreply)
 {
 	struct nf_conn_help *help = nfct_help(ct);
-	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
 
 	/* Should be unconfirmed, so not in hash table yet */
 	NF_CT_ASSERT(!nf_ct_is_confirmed(ct));
@@ -785,23 +777,7 @@ void nf_conntrack_alter_reply(struct nf_conn *ct,
 		return;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
-	helper = __nf_ct_helper_find(newreply);
-	if (helper == NULL) {
-		if (help)
-			rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, NULL);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	if (help == NULL) {
-		help = nf_ct_helper_ext_add(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
-		if (help == NULL)
-			goto out;
-	} else {
-		memset(&help->help, 0, sizeof(help->help));
-	}
-
-	rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, helper);
-out:
+	__nf_ct_try_assign_helper(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_alter_reply);
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.c
index 9c06b9f86ad45a524c2b3e2fe1b522930ca70af0..9e4b74b95ce813e1dedd3b5ebe16a88ed39d3a57 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static unsigned int helper_hash(const struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple)
 		(__force __u16)tuple->src.u.all) % nf_ct_helper_hsize;
 }
 
-struct nf_conntrack_helper *
+static struct nf_conntrack_helper *
 __nf_ct_helper_find(const struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple)
 {
 	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ __nf_ct_helper_find(const struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple)
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__nf_ct_helper_find);
 
 struct nf_conntrack_helper *
 __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(const char *name)
@@ -94,6 +93,35 @@ struct nf_conn_help *nf_ct_helper_ext_add(struct nf_conn *ct, gfp_t gfp)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_ct_helper_ext_add);
 
+int __nf_ct_try_assign_helper(struct nf_conn *ct, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
+	struct nf_conn_help *help = nfct_help(ct);
+
+	helper = __nf_ct_helper_find(&ct->tuplehash[IP_CT_DIR_REPLY].tuple);
+	if (helper == NULL) {
+		if (help)
+			rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, NULL);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (help == NULL) {
+		help = nf_ct_helper_ext_add(ct, flags);
+		if (help == NULL) {
+			ret = -ENOMEM;
+			goto out;
+		}
+	} else {
+		memset(&help->help, 0, sizeof(help->help));
+	}
+
+	rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, helper);
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__nf_ct_try_assign_helper);
+
 static inline int unhelp(struct nf_conntrack_tuple_hash *i,
 			 const struct nf_conntrack_helper *me)
 {
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
index 49a04fa0becc7a7bdad0ee5d520aef7394b5ae24..4f6486cfd337db43e9d74255d28000353c59d54a 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
@@ -917,8 +917,22 @@ ctnetlink_change_helper(struct nf_conn *ct, struct nlattr *cda[])
 	}
 
 	helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(helpname);
-	if (helper == NULL)
+	if (helper == NULL) {
+#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
+		spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+
+		if (request_module("nfct-helper-%s", helpname) < 0) {
+			spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+		}
+
+		spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+		helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(helpname);
+		if (helper)
+			return -EAGAIN;
+#endif
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	}
 
 	if (help) {
 		if (help->helper == helper)
@@ -1082,7 +1096,6 @@ ctnetlink_create_conntrack(struct nlattr *cda[],
 {
 	struct nf_conn *ct;
 	int err = -EINVAL;
-	struct nf_conn_help *help;
 	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
 
 	ct = nf_conntrack_alloc(&init_net, otuple, rtuple, GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -1097,16 +1110,55 @@ ctnetlink_create_conntrack(struct nlattr *cda[],
 	ct->status |= IPS_CONFIRMED;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
-	helper = __nf_ct_helper_find(rtuple);
-	if (helper) {
-		help = nf_ct_helper_ext_add(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
-		if (help == NULL) {
+ 	if (cda[CTA_HELP]) {
+ 		char *helpname;
+ 
+ 		err = ctnetlink_parse_help(cda[CTA_HELP], &helpname);
+ 		if (err < 0) {
+			rcu_read_unlock();
+			goto err;
+		}
+
+		helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(helpname);
+		if (helper == NULL) {
+			rcu_read_unlock();
+#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
+			if (request_module("nfct-helper-%s", helpname) < 0) {
+				err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+				goto err;
+			}
+
+			rcu_read_lock();
+			helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find_byname(helpname);
+			if (helper) {
+				rcu_read_unlock();
+				err = -EAGAIN;
+				goto err;
+			}
+			rcu_read_unlock();
+#endif
+			err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+			goto err;
+		} else {
+			struct nf_conn_help *help;
+
+			help = nf_ct_helper_ext_add(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
+			if (help == NULL) {
+				rcu_read_unlock();
+				err = -ENOMEM;
+				goto err;
+			}
+
+			/* not in hash table yet so not strictly necessary */
+			rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, helper);
+		}
+	} else {
+		/* try an implicit helper assignation */
+		err = __nf_ct_try_assign_helper(ct, GFP_ATOMIC);
+		if (err < 0) {
 			rcu_read_unlock();
-			err = -ENOMEM;
 			goto err;
 		}
-		/* not in hash table yet so not strictly necessary */
-		rcu_assign_pointer(help->helper, helper);
 	}
 
 	if (cda[CTA_STATUS]) {