diff --git a/net/core/netpoll.c b/net/core/netpoll.c
index 9b263a5c0f36..9a67aa989d60 100644
--- a/net/core/netpoll.c
+++ b/net/core/netpoll.c
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ int __netpoll_setup(struct netpoll *np, struct net_device *ndev)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (!ndev->npinfo) {
+	if (!rcu_access_pointer(ndev->npinfo)) {
 		npinfo = kmalloc(sizeof(*npinfo), GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (!npinfo) {
 			err = -ENOMEM;