diff --git a/net/batman-adv/hard-interface.c b/net/batman-adv/hard-interface.c
index 74e3ec2fb116df8d21326065cb16d0365720ba72..6c32607a6e9335f8e7e814c4e5aad3816b60ad9d 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/hard-interface.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/hard-interface.c
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ void batadv_hardif_disable_interface(struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface,
 
 	/* nobody uses this interface anymore */
 	if (!bat_priv->num_ifaces && autodel == BATADV_IF_CLEANUP_AUTO)
-		batadv_softif_destroy(hard_iface->soft_iface);
+		batadv_softif_destroy_sysfs(hard_iface->soft_iface);
 
 	hard_iface->soft_iface = NULL;
 	batadv_hardif_free_ref(hard_iface);
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
index e889bfb1bfc372faf12e59cf1076a7e715ccf1e9..bc77a5be960d24154b3d1408132c3a43217b19ff 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
@@ -581,7 +581,11 @@ struct net_device *batadv_softif_create(const char *name)
 	return soft_iface;
 }
 
-void batadv_softif_destroy(struct net_device *soft_iface)
+/**
+ * batadv_softif_destroy_sysfs - deletion of batadv_soft_interface via sysfs
+ * @soft_iface: the to-be-removed batman-adv interface
+ */
+void batadv_softif_destroy_sysfs(struct net_device *soft_iface)
 {
 	struct batadv_priv *bat_priv = netdev_priv(soft_iface);
 
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.h b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.h
index 43182e5e603aafd4dead1fa516472c4bc4ee5dc4..49bc66bb774ab09a5fd67c5e5dc952875f783bb1 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.h
+++ b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ void batadv_interface_rx(struct net_device *soft_iface,
 			 struct sk_buff *skb, struct batadv_hard_iface *recv_if,
 			 int hdr_size, struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node);
 struct net_device *batadv_softif_create(const char *name);
-void batadv_softif_destroy(struct net_device *soft_iface);
+void batadv_softif_destroy_sysfs(struct net_device *soft_iface);
 int batadv_softif_is_valid(const struct net_device *net_dev);
 
 #endif /* _NET_BATMAN_ADV_SOFT_INTERFACE_H_ */