diff --git a/include/net/ip_tunnels.h b/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
index bc3b13ec93c9d..0219fe907b261 100644
--- a/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
+++ b/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ struct metadata_dst;
 struct ip_tunnel {
 	struct ip_tunnel __rcu	*next;
 	struct hlist_node hash_node;
+
 	struct net_device	*dev;
+	netdevice_tracker	dev_tracker;
+
 	struct net		*net;	/* netns for packet i/o */
 
 	unsigned long	err_time;	/* Time when the last ICMP error
diff --git a/net/ipv6/sit.c b/net/ipv6/sit.c
index 1b57ee36d6682..057c0f83c8007 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/sit.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/sit.c
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ static void ipip6_tunnel_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 		ipip6_tunnel_del_prl(tunnel, NULL);
 	}
 	dst_cache_reset(&tunnel->dst_cache);
-	dev_put(dev);
+	dev_put_track(dev, &tunnel->dev_tracker);
 }
 
 static int ipip6_err(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 info)
@@ -1463,7 +1463,7 @@ static int ipip6_tunnel_init(struct net_device *dev)
 		dev->tstats = NULL;
 		return err;
 	}
-	dev_hold(dev);
+	dev_hold_track(dev, &tunnel->dev_tracker, GFP_KERNEL);
 	return 0;
 }