diff --git a/include/net/dst.h b/include/net/dst.h
index 204c19e2545682179262e7bb9a80f3c3d6baa6b3..5047e8053d6ca9900664631646cebe31eb04af15 100644
--- a/include/net/dst.h
+++ b/include/net/dst.h
@@ -255,17 +255,18 @@ static inline void dst_hold(struct dst_entry *dst)
 	WARN_ON(atomic_inc_not_zero(&dst->__refcnt) == 0);
 }
 
-static inline void dst_use(struct dst_entry *dst, unsigned long time)
+static inline void dst_use_noref(struct dst_entry *dst, unsigned long time)
 {
-	dst_hold(dst);
-	dst->__use++;
-	dst->lastuse = time;
+	if (time != dst->lastuse) {
+		dst->__use++;
+		dst->lastuse = time;
+	}
 }
 
-static inline void dst_use_noref(struct dst_entry *dst, unsigned long time)
+static inline void dst_hold_and_use(struct dst_entry *dst, unsigned long time)
 {
-	dst->__use++;
-	dst->lastuse = time;
+	dst_hold(dst);
+	dst_use_noref(dst, time);
 }
 
 static inline struct dst_entry *dst_clone(struct dst_entry *dst)
diff --git a/net/decnet/dn_route.c b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
index 0bd3afd01dd2994bcbfc6d3a79a47cf8a25a7df0..bff5ab88cdbb4e0496223271fcd2798c3edc8395 100644
--- a/net/decnet/dn_route.c
+++ b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ static int dn_insert_route(struct dn_route *rt, unsigned int hash, struct dn_rou
 					   dn_rt_hash_table[hash].chain);
 			rcu_assign_pointer(dn_rt_hash_table[hash].chain, rth);
 
-			dst_use(&rth->dst, now);
+			dst_hold_and_use(&rth->dst, now);
 			spin_unlock_bh(&dn_rt_hash_table[hash].lock);
 
 			dst_release_immediate(&rt->dst);
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static int dn_insert_route(struct dn_route *rt, unsigned int hash, struct dn_rou
 	rcu_assign_pointer(rt->dst.dn_next, dn_rt_hash_table[hash].chain);
 	rcu_assign_pointer(dn_rt_hash_table[hash].chain, rt);
 
-	dst_use(&rt->dst, now);
+	dst_hold_and_use(&rt->dst, now);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&dn_rt_hash_table[hash].lock);
 	*rp = rt;
 	return 0;
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@ static int __dn_route_output_key(struct dst_entry **pprt, const struct flowidn *
 			    (flp->flowidn_mark == rt->fld.flowidn_mark) &&
 			    dn_is_output_route(rt) &&
 			    (rt->fld.flowidn_oif == flp->flowidn_oif)) {
-				dst_use(&rt->dst, jiffies);
+				dst_hold_and_use(&rt->dst, jiffies);
 				rcu_read_unlock_bh();
 				*pprt = &rt->dst;
 				return 0;
@@ -1535,7 +1535,7 @@ static int dn_route_input(struct sk_buff *skb)
 		    (rt->fld.flowidn_oif == 0) &&
 		    (rt->fld.flowidn_mark == skb->mark) &&
 		    (rt->fld.flowidn_iif == cb->iif)) {
-			dst_use(&rt->dst, jiffies);
+			dst_hold_and_use(&rt->dst, jiffies);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
 			skb_dst_set(skb, (struct dst_entry *)rt);
 			return 0;