diff --git a/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c b/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
index 0483519b7fb0..7a362f2e2c2b 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/fib_semantics.c
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ static void fib_rebalance(struct fib_info *fi)
 	change_nexthops(fi) {
 		int upper_bound;
 
-		if (nexthop_nh->fib_nh_flags & RTNH_F_DEAD) {
+		if (!total || nexthop_nh->fib_nh_flags & RTNH_F_DEAD) {
 			upper_bound = -1;
 		} else if (ip_ignore_linkdown(nexthop_nh->fib_nh_dev) &&
 			   nexthop_nh->fib_nh_flags & RTNH_F_LINKDOWN) {