diff --git a/include/net/genetlink.h b/include/net/genetlink.h
index b619314218a6..2010465fa7d4 100644
--- a/include/net/genetlink.h
+++ b/include/net/genetlink.h
@@ -187,4 +187,15 @@ static inline int genlmsg_total_size(int payload)
 	return NLMSG_ALIGN(genlmsg_msg_size(payload));
 }
 
+/**
+ * genlmsg_new - Allocate a new generic netlink message
+ * @payload: size of the message payload
+ * @flags: the type of memory to allocate.
+ */
+static inline struct sk_buff *genlmsg_new(size_t payload, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	return nlmsg_new(genlmsg_total_size(payload), flags);
+}
+
+
 #endif	/* __NET_GENERIC_NETLINK_H */
diff --git a/kernel/taskstats.c b/kernel/taskstats.c
index 4f3f0e48c845..faa5239813ce 100644
--- a/kernel/taskstats.c
+++ b/kernel/taskstats.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static int prepare_reply(struct genl_info *info, u8 cmd, struct sk_buff **skbp,
 	/*
 	 * If new attributes are added, please revisit this allocation
 	 */
-	skb = nlmsg_new(genlmsg_total_size(size), GFP_KERNEL);
+	skb = genlmsg_new(size, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!skb)
 		return -ENOMEM;