diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 41da51f95486a..d652ea66e5755 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -10124,14 +10124,37 @@ static bool from_cleanup_net(void)
 #endif
 }
 
+static void rtnl_drop_if_cleanup_net(void)
+{
+	if (from_cleanup_net())
+		__rtnl_unlock();
+}
+
+static void rtnl_acquire_if_cleanup_net(void)
+{
+	if (from_cleanup_net())
+		rtnl_lock();
+}
+
 /* Delayed registration/unregisteration */
 LIST_HEAD(net_todo_list);
+static LIST_HEAD(net_todo_list_for_cleanup_net);
+
+/* TODO: net_todo_list/net_todo_list_for_cleanup_net should probably
+ * be provided by callers, instead of being static, rtnl protected.
+ */
+static struct list_head *todo_list(void)
+{
+	return from_cleanup_net() ? &net_todo_list_for_cleanup_net :
+				    &net_todo_list;
+}
+
 DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(netdev_unregistering_wq);
 atomic_t dev_unreg_count = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
 
 static void net_set_todo(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	list_add_tail(&dev->todo_list, &net_todo_list);
+	list_add_tail(&dev->todo_list, todo_list());
 }
 
 static netdev_features_t netdev_sync_upper_features(struct net_device *lower,
@@ -10979,7 +11002,7 @@ void netdev_run_todo(void)
 #endif
 
 	/* Snapshot list, allow later requests */
-	list_replace_init(&net_todo_list, &list);
+	list_replace_init(todo_list(), &list);
 
 	__rtnl_unlock();
 
@@ -11602,8 +11625,10 @@ void unregister_netdevice_many_notify(struct list_head *head,
 		unlist_netdevice(dev);
 		WRITE_ONCE(dev->reg_state, NETREG_UNREGISTERING);
 	}
-	flush_all_backlogs();
 
+	rtnl_drop_if_cleanup_net();
+	flush_all_backlogs();
+	rtnl_acquire_if_cleanup_net();
 	synchronize_net();
 
 	list_for_each_entry(dev, head, unreg_list) {