diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
index dbe220029b57a0e203d5de21d3dae599158d3640..5f1a71b1a4201ad69c5d61a80f9a44f801f38561 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
@@ -69,11 +69,15 @@ static int ip6_finish_output2(struct net *net, struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *
 
 	/* Be paranoid, rather than too clever. */
 	if (unlikely(hh_len > skb_headroom(skb)) && dev->header_ops) {
+		/* Make sure idev stays alive */
+		rcu_read_lock();
 		skb = skb_expand_head(skb, hh_len);
 		if (!skb) {
 			IP6_INC_STATS(net, idev, IPSTATS_MIB_OUTDISCARDS);
+			rcu_read_unlock();
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
+		rcu_read_unlock();
 	}
 
 	hdr = ipv6_hdr(skb);