diff --git a/net/ax25/af_ax25.c b/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
index e5f6838a235a7dfbc9401d7aab58866b34ba195e..4100aec3017d14174b0227266fdc76266bbfbff1 100644
--- a/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
+++ b/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ static void ax25_kill_by_device(struct net_device *dev)
 			spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
 			lock_sock(sk);
 			s->ax25_dev = NULL;
-			release_sock(sk);
 			ax25_disconnect(s, ENETUNREACH);
+			release_sock(sk);
 			spin_lock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
 			sock_put(sk);
 			/* The entry could have been deleted from the