diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 714d05283500..9db053b355ef 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -13039,7 +13039,7 @@ static void __net_exit default_device_exit_net(struct net *net)
 	 * Push all migratable network devices back to the
 	 * initial network namespace
 	 */
-	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
 	for_each_netdev_safe(net, dev, aux) {
 		int err;
 		char fb_name[IFNAMSIZ];
@@ -13082,11 +13082,19 @@ static void __net_exit default_device_exit_batch(struct list_head *net_list)
 	LIST_HEAD(dev_kill_list);
 
 	rtnl_lock();
+
+	__rtnl_net_lock(&init_net);
+
 	list_for_each_entry(net, net_list, exit_list) {
+		__rtnl_net_lock(net);
 		default_device_exit_net(net);
+		__rtnl_net_unlock(net);
+
 		cond_resched();
 	}
 
+	__rtnl_net_unlock(&init_net);
+
 	list_for_each_entry(net, net_list, exit_list) {
 		for_each_netdev_reverse(net, dev) {
 			if (dev->rtnl_link_ops && dev->rtnl_link_ops->dellink)