diff --git a/include/net/addrconf.h b/include/net/addrconf.h
index 620bd9a83ba9ef018c799f75d0febabd15e624ef..6df79e96a780b3bf0c141fee5b43eded5276775c 100644
--- a/include/net/addrconf.h
+++ b/include/net/addrconf.h
@@ -350,18 +350,18 @@ void inet6_ifa_finish_destroy(struct inet6_ifaddr *ifp);
 
 static inline void in6_ifa_put(struct inet6_ifaddr *ifp)
 {
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ifp->refcnt))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&ifp->refcnt))
 		inet6_ifa_finish_destroy(ifp);
 }
 
 static inline void __in6_ifa_put(struct inet6_ifaddr *ifp)
 {
-	atomic_dec(&ifp->refcnt);
+	refcount_dec(&ifp->refcnt);
 }
 
 static inline void in6_ifa_hold(struct inet6_ifaddr *ifp)
 {
-	atomic_inc(&ifp->refcnt);
+	refcount_inc(&ifp->refcnt);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/net/if_inet6.h b/include/net/if_inet6.h
index e7a17b231afc34775f936971ff80e934572eaac2..2b41cb86d62fb5e6e65951aec61fbf35dd8835e4 100644
--- a/include/net/if_inet6.h
+++ b/include/net/if_inet6.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct inet6_ifaddr {
 	/* In seconds, relative to tstamp. Expiry is at tstamp + HZ * lft. */
 	__u32			valid_lft;
 	__u32			prefered_lft;
-	atomic_t		refcnt;
+	refcount_t		refcnt;
 	spinlock_t		lock;
 
 	int			state;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
index 2365f1224c6b7b04a129cd33afa960b98ee316fc..3c46e9513a31d04eeb1e76384f146b759ae38eed 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ ipv6_add_addr(struct inet6_dev *idev, const struct in6_addr *addr,
 
 	ifa->idev = idev;
 	/* For caller */
-	in6_ifa_hold(ifa);
+	refcount_set(&ifa->refcnt, 1);
 
 	/* Add to big hash table */
 	hash = inet6_addr_hash(addr);