diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index fa79145518d1..cf3b6445817b 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -4192,7 +4192,7 @@ int dev_change_flags(struct net_device *dev, unsigned int flags,
 int netif_set_alias(struct net_device *dev, const char *alias, size_t len);
 int dev_set_alias(struct net_device *, const char *, size_t);
 int dev_get_alias(const struct net_device *, char *, size_t);
-int netif_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
+int __dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
 			       const char *pat, int new_ifindex,
 			       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 5d20ff226d5e..ce6612106e60 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -1858,7 +1858,9 @@ static int call_netdevice_register_net_notifiers(struct notifier_block *nb,
 	int err;
 
 	for_each_netdev(net, dev) {
+		netdev_lock_ops(dev);
 		err = call_netdevice_register_notifiers(nb, dev);
+		netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
 		if (err)
 			goto rollback;
 	}
@@ -11047,7 +11049,9 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 		memcpy(dev->perm_addr, dev->dev_addr, dev->addr_len);
 
 	/* Notify protocols, that a new device appeared. */
+	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
 	ret = call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_REGISTER, dev);
+	netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
 	ret = notifier_to_errno(ret);
 	if (ret) {
 		/* Expect explicit free_netdev() on failure */
@@ -12059,7 +12063,7 @@ void unregister_netdev(struct net_device *dev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(unregister_netdev);
 
-int netif_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
+int __dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
 			       const char *pat, int new_ifindex,
 			       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
@@ -12144,11 +12148,12 @@ int netif_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
 	 * And now a mini version of register_netdevice unregister_netdevice.
 	 */
 
+	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
 	/* If device is running close it first. */
 	netif_close(dev);
-
 	/* And unlink it from device chain */
 	unlist_netdevice(dev);
+	netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
 
 	synchronize_net();
 
@@ -12210,11 +12215,12 @@ int netif_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
 	err = netdev_change_owner(dev, net_old, net);
 	WARN_ON(err);
 
+	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
 	/* Add the device back in the hashes */
 	list_netdevice(dev);
-
 	/* Notify protocols, that a new device appeared. */
 	call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_REGISTER, dev);
+	netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
 
 	/*
 	 *	Prevent userspace races by waiting until the network
diff --git a/net/core/dev_api.c b/net/core/dev_api.c
index 8dbc60612100..90bafb0b1b8c 100644
--- a/net/core/dev_api.c
+++ b/net/core/dev_api.c
@@ -117,13 +117,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(dev_set_mac_address_user);
 int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net,
 			     const char *pat)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
-	ret = netif_change_net_namespace(dev, net, pat, 0, NULL);
-	netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
-
-	return ret;
+	return __dev_change_net_namespace(dev, net, pat, 0, NULL);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dev_change_net_namespace);
 
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 334db17be37d..c23852835050 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -3025,8 +3025,6 @@ static int do_setlink(const struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 	char ifname[IFNAMSIZ];
 	int err;
 
-	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
-
 	err = validate_linkmsg(dev, tb, extack);
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto errout;
@@ -3042,14 +3040,16 @@ static int do_setlink(const struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 
 		new_ifindex = nla_get_s32_default(tb[IFLA_NEW_IFINDEX], 0);
 
-		err = netif_change_net_namespace(dev, tgt_net, pat,
+		err = __dev_change_net_namespace(dev, tgt_net, pat,
 						 new_ifindex, extack);
 		if (err)
-			goto errout;
+			return err;
 
 		status |= DO_SETLINK_MODIFIED;
 	}
 
+	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
+
 	if (tb[IFLA_MAP]) {
 		struct rtnl_link_ifmap *u_map;
 		struct ifmap k_map;