diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
index 8ebda0b6a78b..183218100d69 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
@@ -1607,12 +1607,13 @@ static int __net_init ip6gre_init_net(struct net *net)
 	ip6gre_fb_tunnel_init(ign->fb_tunnel_dev);
 	ign->fb_tunnel_dev->rtnl_link_ops = &ip6gre_link_ops;
 
+	rcu_assign_pointer(ign->tunnels_wc[0],
+			   netdev_priv(ign->fb_tunnel_dev));
+
 	err = register_netdev(ign->fb_tunnel_dev);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_reg_dev;
 
-	rcu_assign_pointer(ign->tunnels_wc[0],
-			   netdev_priv(ign->fb_tunnel_dev));
 	return 0;
 
 err_reg_dev: