diff --git a/include/net/ipv6.h b/include/net/ipv6.h
index b950a2000b7f4..35d485c780802 100644
--- a/include/net/ipv6.h
+++ b/include/net/ipv6.h
@@ -671,9 +671,9 @@ static inline int ipv6_addr_diff(const struct in6_addr *a1, const struct in6_add
 	return __ipv6_addr_diff(a1, a2, sizeof(struct in6_addr));
 }
 
-u32 ipv6_select_ident(struct net *net,
-		      const struct in6_addr *daddr,
-		      const struct in6_addr *saddr);
+__be32 ipv6_select_ident(struct net *net,
+			 const struct in6_addr *daddr,
+			 const struct in6_addr *saddr);
 void ipv6_proxy_select_ident(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb);
 
 int ip6_dst_hoplimit(struct dst_entry *dst);
diff --git a/net/ipv6/output_core.c b/net/ipv6/output_core.c
index 055e85cb7b651..21678acd45216 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/output_core.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/output_core.c
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ void ipv6_proxy_select_ident(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ipv6_proxy_select_ident);
 
-u32 ipv6_select_ident(struct net *net,
-		      const struct in6_addr *daddr,
-		      const struct in6_addr *saddr)
+__be32 ipv6_select_ident(struct net *net,
+			 const struct in6_addr *daddr,
+			 const struct in6_addr *saddr)
 {
 	static u32 ip6_idents_hashrnd __read_mostly;
 	u32 id;