diff --git a/net/core/sock_map.c b/net/core/sock_map.c
index 50fb43905c87de2d7724be325ad25ac8ce337410..79528310e6a7869dea2bc1703dc72f656d3e7fc9 100644
--- a/net/core/sock_map.c
+++ b/net/core/sock_map.c
@@ -358,11 +358,13 @@ static void sock_map_free(struct bpf_map *map)
 
 		sk = xchg(psk, NULL);
 		if (sk) {
+			sock_hold(sk);
 			lock_sock(sk);
 			rcu_read_lock();
 			sock_map_unref(sk, psk);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
 			release_sock(sk);
+			sock_put(sk);
 		}
 	}