diff --git a/net/mac80211/tx.c b/net/mac80211/tx.c
index a4af3a124cce7d895426b9e49e36ef53a5c54601..4278e545638fbeae16c5ffd0795a4835a4358c21 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/tx.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/tx.c
@@ -1307,8 +1307,10 @@ int ieee80211_master_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 		if (is_multicast_ether_addr(hdr->addr3))
 			memcpy(hdr->addr1, hdr->addr3, ETH_ALEN);
 		else
-			if (mesh_nexthop_lookup(skb, osdata))
-				return  0;
+			if (mesh_nexthop_lookup(skb, osdata)) {
+				dev_put(odev);
+				return 0;
+			}
 		if (memcmp(odev->dev_addr, hdr->addr4, ETH_ALEN) != 0)
 			IEEE80211_IFSTA_MESH_CTR_INC(&osdata->u.mesh,
 							    fwded_frames);