diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 4b3d5cfdf6e0..5933c5dab09e 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -4018,6 +4018,9 @@ static struct sk_buff *validate_xmit_unreadable_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+/* Returns the skb on success, NULL if dropped, or ERR_PTR(-EINPROGRESS)
+ * if stolen by async xfrm crypto (delivered via xfrm_dev_resume()).
+ */
 static struct sk_buff *validate_xmit_skb(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev, bool *again)
 {
 	netdev_features_t features;
@@ -4089,7 +4092,7 @@ struct sk_buff *validate_xmit_skb_list(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *d
 		skb->prev = skb;
 
 		skb = validate_xmit_skb(skb, dev, again);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(skb))
 			continue;
 
 		if (!head)
@@ -4860,8 +4863,11 @@ int __dev_queue_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *sb_dev)
 			goto recursion_alert;
 
 		skb = validate_xmit_skb(skb, dev, &again);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(skb)) {
+			if (PTR_ERR(skb) == -EINPROGRESS)
+				rc = NET_XMIT_SUCCESS;
 			goto out;
+		}
 
 		HARD_TX_LOCK(dev, txq, cpu);
 
diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_device.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_device.c
index 630f3dd31cc5..19c77f09acc9 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_device.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_device.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ struct sk_buff *validate_xmit_xfrm(struct sk_buff *skb, netdev_features_t featur
 		err = x->type_offload->xmit(x, skb, esp_features);
 		if (err) {
 			if (err == -EINPROGRESS)
-				return NULL;
+				return ERR_PTR(-EINPROGRESS);
 
 			XFRM_INC_STATS(xs_net(x), LINUX_MIB_XFRMOUTSTATEPROTOERROR);
 			kfree_skb(skb);
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ struct sk_buff *validate_xmit_xfrm(struct sk_buff *skb, netdev_features_t featur
 		pskb = skb2;
 	}
 
-	return skb;
+	return skb ? skb : ERR_PTR(-EINPROGRESS);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(validate_xmit_xfrm);