diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 0db9fc0afe36..0c5b1f7f8f3a 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -4196,8 +4196,6 @@ int netif_set_mac_address(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
 			  struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int dev_set_mac_address(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
 			struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
-int netif_set_mac_address_user(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
-			       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int dev_set_mac_address_user(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
 			     struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int dev_get_mac_address(struct sockaddr *sa, struct net *net, char *dev_name);
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 977a9946d39c..235560341765 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -9577,17 +9577,6 @@ int netif_set_mac_address(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
 
 DECLARE_RWSEM(dev_addr_sem);
 
-int netif_set_mac_address_user(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
-			       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	down_write(&dev_addr_sem);
-	ret = netif_set_mac_address(dev, sa, extack);
-	up_write(&dev_addr_sem);
-	return ret;
-}
-
 int dev_get_mac_address(struct sockaddr *sa, struct net *net, char *dev_name)
 {
 	size_t size = sizeof(sa->sa_data_min);
diff --git a/net/core/dev_api.c b/net/core/dev_api.c
index 2e17548af685..8dbc60612100 100644
--- a/net/core/dev_api.c
+++ b/net/core/dev_api.c
@@ -89,9 +89,11 @@ int dev_set_mac_address_user(struct net_device *dev, struct sockaddr *sa,
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	down_write(&dev_addr_sem);
 	netdev_lock_ops(dev);
-	ret = netif_set_mac_address_user(dev, sa, extack);
+	ret = netif_set_mac_address(dev, sa, extack);
 	netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
+	up_write(&dev_addr_sem);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 9355058bf996..5a24a30dfc2d 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -3088,13 +3088,24 @@ static int do_setlink(const struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 			goto errout;
 		}
 		sa->sa_family = dev->type;
+
+		netdev_unlock_ops(dev);
+
+		/* dev_addr_sem is an outer lock, enforce proper ordering */
+		down_write(&dev_addr_sem);
+		netdev_lock_ops(dev);
+
 		memcpy(sa->sa_data, nla_data(tb[IFLA_ADDRESS]),
 		       dev->addr_len);
-		err = netif_set_mac_address_user(dev, sa, extack);
+		err = netif_set_mac_address(dev, sa, extack);
 		kfree(sa);
-		if (err)
+		if (err) {
+			up_write(&dev_addr_sem);
 			goto errout;
+		}
 		status |= DO_SETLINK_MODIFIED;
+
+		up_write(&dev_addr_sem);
 	}
 
 	if (tb[IFLA_MTU]) {