diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 7ba1402ca779..f467a66abc6b 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ static inline int check_net(const struct net *net)
 }
 
 void net_drop_ns(void *);
+void net_passive_dec(struct net *net);
 
 #else
 
@@ -326,8 +327,18 @@ static inline int check_net(const struct net *net)
 }
 
 #define net_drop_ns NULL
+
+static inline void net_passive_dec(struct net *net)
+{
+	refcount_dec(&net->passive);
+}
 #endif
 
+static inline void net_passive_inc(struct net *net)
+{
+	refcount_inc(&net->passive);
+}
+
 /* Returns true if the netns initialization is completed successfully */
 static inline bool net_initialized(const struct net *net)
 {
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index cb39a12b2f82..4303f2a49262 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ static void net_complete_free(void)
 
 }
 
-static void net_free(struct net *net)
+void net_passive_dec(struct net *net)
 {
 	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&net->passive)) {
 		kfree(rcu_access_pointer(net->gen));
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ void net_drop_ns(void *p)
 	struct net *net = (struct net *)p;
 
 	if (net)
-		net_free(net);
+		net_passive_dec(net);
 }
 
 struct net *copy_net_ns(unsigned long flags,
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ put_userns:
 		key_remove_domain(net->key_domain);
 #endif
 		put_user_ns(user_ns);
-		net_free(net);
+		net_passive_dec(net);
 dec_ucounts:
 		dec_net_namespaces(ucounts);
 		return ERR_PTR(rv);
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ static void cleanup_net(struct work_struct *work)
 		key_remove_domain(net->key_domain);
 #endif
 		put_user_ns(net->user_ns);
-		net_free(net);
+		net_passive_dec(net);
 	}
 	cleanup_net_task = NULL;
 }