diff --git a/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c b/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
index a8bdf7405433f5..e5b7182fa099e6 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
@@ -145,6 +145,12 @@ static void free_fib_info_rcu(struct rcu_head *head)
 {
 	struct fib_info *fi = container_of(head, struct fib_info, rcu);
 
+	change_nexthops(fi) {
+		if (nexthop_nh->nh_dev)
+			dev_put(nexthop_nh->nh_dev);
+	} endfor_nexthops(fi);
+
+	release_net(fi->fib_net);
 	if (fi->fib_metrics != (u32 *) dst_default_metrics)
 		kfree(fi->fib_metrics);
 	kfree(fi);
@@ -156,13 +162,7 @@ void free_fib_info(struct fib_info *fi)
 		pr_warn("Freeing alive fib_info %p\n", fi);
 		return;
 	}
-	change_nexthops(fi) {
-		if (nexthop_nh->nh_dev)
-			dev_put(nexthop_nh->nh_dev);
-		nexthop_nh->nh_dev = NULL;
-	} endfor_nexthops(fi);
 	fib_info_cnt--;
-	release_net(fi->fib_net);
 	call_rcu(&fi->rcu, free_fib_info_rcu);
 }