diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
index 0f03f6a53b4ddb..70f5b6a4683c29 100644
--- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
@@ -1497,6 +1497,8 @@ static void __fanout_link(struct sock *sk, struct packet_sock *po)
 	f->arr[f->num_members] = sk;
 	smp_wmb();
 	f->num_members++;
+	if (f->num_members == 1)
+		dev_add_pack(&f->prot_hook);
 	spin_unlock(&f->lock);
 }
 
@@ -1513,6 +1515,8 @@ static void __fanout_unlink(struct sock *sk, struct packet_sock *po)
 	BUG_ON(i >= f->num_members);
 	f->arr[i] = f->arr[f->num_members - 1];
 	f->num_members--;
+	if (f->num_members == 0)
+		__dev_remove_pack(&f->prot_hook);
 	spin_unlock(&f->lock);
 }
 
@@ -1693,7 +1697,6 @@ static int fanout_add(struct sock *sk, u16 id, u16 type_flags)
 		match->prot_hook.func = packet_rcv_fanout;
 		match->prot_hook.af_packet_priv = match;
 		match->prot_hook.id_match = match_fanout_group;
-		dev_add_pack(&match->prot_hook);
 		list_add(&match->list, &fanout_list);
 	}
 	err = -EINVAL;
@@ -1718,7 +1721,12 @@ static int fanout_add(struct sock *sk, u16 id, u16 type_flags)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static void fanout_release(struct sock *sk)
+/* If pkt_sk(sk)->fanout->sk_ref is zero, this function removes
+ * pkt_sk(sk)->fanout from fanout_list and returns pkt_sk(sk)->fanout.
+ * It is the responsibility of the caller to call fanout_release_data() and
+ * free the returned packet_fanout (after synchronize_net())
+ */
+static struct packet_fanout *fanout_release(struct sock *sk)
 {
 	struct packet_sock *po = pkt_sk(sk);
 	struct packet_fanout *f;
@@ -1728,17 +1736,17 @@ static void fanout_release(struct sock *sk)
 	if (f) {
 		po->fanout = NULL;
 
-		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&f->sk_ref)) {
+		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&f->sk_ref))
 			list_del(&f->list);
-			dev_remove_pack(&f->prot_hook);
-			fanout_release_data(f);
-			kfree(f);
-		}
+		else
+			f = NULL;
 
 		if (po->rollover)
 			kfree_rcu(po->rollover, rcu);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&fanout_mutex);
+
+	return f;
 }
 
 static bool packet_extra_vlan_len_allowed(const struct net_device *dev,
@@ -2912,6 +2920,7 @@ static int packet_release(struct socket *sock)
 {
 	struct sock *sk = sock->sk;
 	struct packet_sock *po;
+	struct packet_fanout *f;
 	struct net *net;
 	union tpacket_req_u req_u;
 
@@ -2951,9 +2960,14 @@ static int packet_release(struct socket *sock)
 		packet_set_ring(sk, &req_u, 1, 1);
 	}
 
-	fanout_release(sk);
+	f = fanout_release(sk);
 
 	synchronize_net();
+
+	if (f) {
+		fanout_release_data(f);
+		kfree(f);
+	}
 	/*
 	 *	Now the socket is dead. No more input will appear.
 	 */
@@ -3905,7 +3919,6 @@ static int packet_notifier(struct notifier_block *this,
 				}
 				if (msg == NETDEV_UNREGISTER) {
 					packet_cached_dev_reset(po);
-					fanout_release(sk);
 					po->ifindex = -1;
 					if (po->prot_hook.dev)
 						dev_put(po->prot_hook.dev);