diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
index 7c033efd3df33..dd996c33054ba 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
@@ -292,7 +292,6 @@ static int ip6_tnl_create2(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	strcpy(t->parms.name, dev->name);
 
-	dev_hold(dev);
 	ip6_tnl_link(ip6n, t);
 	return 0;
 
@@ -1911,6 +1910,7 @@ ip6_tnl_dev_init_gen(struct net_device *dev)
 	dev->min_mtu = ETH_MIN_MTU;
 	dev->max_mtu = IP6_MAX_MTU - dev->hard_header_len;
 
+	dev_hold(dev);
 	return 0;
 
 destroy_dst: