diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 5827de79610b9d..c94179d30d426e 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -664,11 +664,16 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__put_net);
  * get_net_ns - increment the refcount of the network namespace
  * @ns: common namespace (net)
  *
- * Returns the net's common namespace.
+ * Returns the net's common namespace or ERR_PTR() if ref is zero.
  */
 struct ns_common *get_net_ns(struct ns_common *ns)
 {
-	return &get_net(container_of(ns, struct net, ns))->ns;
+	struct net *net;
+
+	net = maybe_get_net(container_of(ns, struct net, ns));
+	if (net)
+		return &net->ns;
+	return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(get_net_ns);