diff --git a/net/ipv4/nexthop.c b/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
index 1075cc2136ac6a..4dbc628f8c3867 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
@@ -1355,11 +1355,15 @@ static int nh_create_ipv6(struct net *net,  struct nexthop *nh,
 	/* sets nh_dev if successful */
 	err = ipv6_stub->fib6_nh_init(net, fib6_nh, &fib6_cfg, GFP_KERNEL,
 				      extack);
-	if (err)
+	if (err) {
+		/* IPv6 is not enabled, don't call fib6_nh_release */
+		if (err == -EAFNOSUPPORT)
+			goto out;
 		ipv6_stub->fib6_nh_release(fib6_nh);
-	else
+	} else {
 		nh->nh_flags = fib6_nh->fib_nh_flags;
-
+	}
+out:
 	return err;
 }