diff --git a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
index 9497c6f3276be23fa88958304d0559d235d346bb..426b5df1c98f1cc195158c9829a536cfbd0fefd6 100644
--- a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
+++ b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
@@ -1358,8 +1358,10 @@ static int lowpan_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 	real_dev = dev_get_by_index(src_net, nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_LINK]));
 	if (!real_dev)
 		return -ENODEV;
-	if (real_dev->type != ARPHRD_IEEE802154)
+	if (real_dev->type != ARPHRD_IEEE802154) {
+		dev_put(real_dev);
 		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 
 	lowpan_dev_info(dev)->real_dev = real_dev;
 	lowpan_dev_info(dev)->fragment_tag = 0;