diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 65af9a07cf76..1bf812b21fb7 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ struct net {
 #ifdef CONFIG_WEXT_CORE
 	struct sk_buff_head	wext_nlevents;
 #endif
-	struct net_generic	*gen;
+	struct net_generic __rcu	*gen;
 
 	/* Note : following structs are cache line aligned */
 #ifdef CONFIG_XFRM
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index c988e685433a..3f860261c5ee 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ static int net_assign_generic(struct net *net, int id, void *data)
 	BUG_ON(!mutex_is_locked(&net_mutex));
 	BUG_ON(id == 0);
 
-	ng = old_ng = net->gen;
+	old_ng = rcu_dereference_protected(net->gen,
+					   lockdep_is_held(&net_mutex));
+	ng = old_ng;
 	if (old_ng->len >= id)
 		goto assign;