diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 3f860261c5ee..1abb50841046 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -216,11 +216,14 @@ static void net_free(struct net *net)
 	kmem_cache_free(net_cachep, net);
 }
 
-static struct net *net_create(void)
+struct net *copy_net_ns(unsigned long flags, struct net *old_net)
 {
 	struct net *net;
 	int rv;
 
+	if (!(flags & CLONE_NEWNET))
+		return get_net(old_net);
+
 	net = net_alloc();
 	if (!net)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
@@ -239,13 +242,6 @@ static struct net *net_create(void)
 	return net;
 }
 
-struct net *copy_net_ns(unsigned long flags, struct net *old_net)
-{
-	if (!(flags & CLONE_NEWNET))
-		return get_net(old_net);
-	return net_create();
-}
-
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(cleanup_list_lock);
 static LIST_HEAD(cleanup_list);  /* Must hold cleanup_list_lock to touch */