diff --git a/net/ipv6/sit.c b/net/ipv6/sit.c
index 19b7fa8d1a2a..4438b2472b28 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/sit.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/sit.c
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ ipip6_tunnel_del_prl(struct ip_tunnel *t, struct ip_tunnel_prl *a)
 		     (x = rtnl_dereference(*p)) != NULL;
 		     p = &x->next) {
 			if (x->addr == a->addr) {
-				*p = x->next;
+				rcu_assign_pointer(*p, rtnl_dereference(x->next));
 				kfree_rcu(x, rcu_head);
 				t->prl_count--;
 				goto out;
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ ipip6_tunnel_del_prl(struct ip_tunnel *t, struct ip_tunnel_prl *a)
 		x = rtnl_dereference(t->prl);
 		if (x) {
 			t->prl_count = 0;
+			RCU_INIT_POINTER(t->prl, NULL);
 			call_rcu(&x->rcu_head, prl_list_destroy_rcu);
-			t->prl = NULL;
 		}
 	}
 out: