diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 714d5fa38546..624ee5ab4183 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -538,12 +538,13 @@ static size_t rtnl_link_get_size(const struct net_device *dev)
 }
 
 static LIST_HEAD(rtnl_af_ops);
+static DECLARE_RWSEM(af_ops_sem);
 
 static const struct rtnl_af_ops *rtnl_af_lookup(const int family)
 {
 	const struct rtnl_af_ops *ops;
 
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
+	list_for_each_entry(ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
 		if (ops->family == family)
 			return ops;
 	}
@@ -559,9 +560,9 @@ static const struct rtnl_af_ops *rtnl_af_lookup(const int family)
  */
 void rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops)
 {
-	rtnl_lock();
-	list_add_tail_rcu(&ops->list, &rtnl_af_ops);
-	rtnl_unlock();
+	down_write(&af_ops_sem);
+	list_add_tail(&ops->list, &rtnl_af_ops);
+	up_write(&af_ops_sem);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtnl_af_register);
 
@@ -571,11 +572,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtnl_af_register);
  */
 void rtnl_af_unregister(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops)
 {
-	rtnl_lock();
-	list_del_rcu(&ops->list);
-	rtnl_unlock();
-
-	synchronize_rcu();
+	down_write(&af_ops_sem);
+	list_del(&ops->list);
+	up_write(&af_ops_sem);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtnl_af_unregister);
 
@@ -588,15 +587,15 @@ static size_t rtnl_link_get_af_size(const struct net_device *dev,
 	/* IFLA_AF_SPEC */
 	size = nla_total_size(sizeof(struct nlattr));
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
+	down_read(&af_ops_sem);
+	list_for_each_entry(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
 		if (af_ops->get_link_af_size) {
 			/* AF_* + nested data */
 			size += nla_total_size(sizeof(struct nlattr)) +
 				af_ops->get_link_af_size(dev, ext_filter_mask);
 		}
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 
 	return size;
 }
@@ -1603,7 +1602,7 @@ static int rtnl_fill_link_af(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	if (!af_spec)
 		return -EMSGSIZE;
 
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
+	list_for_each_entry(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
 		struct nlattr *af;
 		int err;
 
@@ -1811,10 +1810,10 @@ static int rtnl_fill_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	    nla_put(skb, IFLA_PERM_ADDRESS, dev->addr_len, dev->perm_addr))
 		goto nla_put_failure;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
+	down_read(&af_ops_sem);
 	if (rtnl_fill_link_af(skb, dev, ext_filter_mask))
-		goto nla_put_failure_rcu;
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+		goto nla_put_failure_sem;
+	up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 
 	if (rtnl_fill_prop_list(skb, dev))
 		goto nla_put_failure;
@@ -1822,8 +1821,8 @@ static int rtnl_fill_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	nlmsg_end(skb, nlh);
 	return 0;
 
-nla_put_failure_rcu:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+nla_put_failure_sem:
+	up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 nla_put_failure:
 	nlmsg_cancel(skb, nlh);
 	return -EMSGSIZE;
@@ -2274,27 +2273,27 @@ static int validate_linkmsg(struct net_device *dev, struct nlattr *tb[])
 		nla_for_each_nested(af, tb[IFLA_AF_SPEC], rem) {
 			const struct rtnl_af_ops *af_ops;
 
-			rcu_read_lock();
+			down_read(&af_ops_sem);
 			af_ops = rtnl_af_lookup(nla_type(af));
 			if (!af_ops) {
-				rcu_read_unlock();
+				up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 				return -EAFNOSUPPORT;
 			}
 
 			if (!af_ops->set_link_af) {
-				rcu_read_unlock();
+				up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 				return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 			}
 
 			if (af_ops->validate_link_af) {
 				err = af_ops->validate_link_af(dev, af);
 				if (err < 0) {
-					rcu_read_unlock();
+					up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 					return err;
 				}
 			}
 
-			rcu_read_unlock();
+			up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -2868,17 +2867,16 @@ static int do_setlink(const struct sk_buff *skb,
 		nla_for_each_nested(af, tb[IFLA_AF_SPEC], rem) {
 			const struct rtnl_af_ops *af_ops;
 
-			rcu_read_lock();
-
+			down_read(&af_ops_sem);
 			BUG_ON(!(af_ops = rtnl_af_lookup(nla_type(af))));
 
 			err = af_ops->set_link_af(dev, af, extack);
 			if (err < 0) {
-				rcu_read_unlock();
+				up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 				goto errout;
 			}
 
-			rcu_read_unlock();
+			up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 			status |= DO_SETLINK_NOTIFY;
 		}
 	}
@@ -5204,8 +5202,8 @@ static int rtnl_fill_statsinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 		if (!attr)
 			goto nla_put_failure;
 
-		rcu_read_lock();
-		list_for_each_entry_rcu(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
+		down_read(&af_ops_sem);
+		list_for_each_entry(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
 			if (af_ops->fill_stats_af) {
 				struct nlattr *af;
 				int err;
@@ -5213,7 +5211,7 @@ static int rtnl_fill_statsinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 				af = nla_nest_start_noflag(skb,
 							   af_ops->family);
 				if (!af) {
-					rcu_read_unlock();
+					up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 					goto nla_put_failure;
 				}
 				err = af_ops->fill_stats_af(skb, dev);
@@ -5221,14 +5219,14 @@ static int rtnl_fill_statsinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 				if (err == -ENODATA) {
 					nla_nest_cancel(skb, af);
 				} else if (err < 0) {
-					rcu_read_unlock();
+					up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 					goto nla_put_failure;
 				}
 
 				nla_nest_end(skb, af);
 			}
 		}
-		rcu_read_unlock();
+		up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 
 		nla_nest_end(skb, attr);
 
@@ -5297,8 +5295,8 @@ static size_t if_nlmsg_stats_size(const struct net_device *dev,
 		/* for IFLA_STATS_AF_SPEC */
 		size += nla_total_size(0);
 
-		rcu_read_lock();
-		list_for_each_entry_rcu(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
+		down_read(&af_ops_sem);
+		list_for_each_entry(af_ops, &rtnl_af_ops, list) {
 			if (af_ops->get_stats_af_size) {
 				size += nla_total_size(
 					af_ops->get_stats_af_size(dev));
@@ -5307,7 +5305,7 @@ static size_t if_nlmsg_stats_size(const struct net_device *dev,
 				size += nla_total_size(0);
 			}
 		}
-		rcu_read_unlock();
+		up_read(&af_ops_sem);
 	}
 
 	return size;
