diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 501af1999fe8..e5ee673b9fcf 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -525,12 +525,13 @@ struct ctl_table;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYSCTL
 int net_sysctl_init(void);
 struct ctl_table_header *register_net_sysctl_sz(struct net *net, const char *path,
-					     struct ctl_table *table, size_t table_size);
+						const struct ctl_table *table,
+						size_t table_size);
 void unregister_net_sysctl_table(struct ctl_table_header *header);
 #else
 static inline int net_sysctl_init(void) { return 0; }
 static inline struct ctl_table_header *register_net_sysctl_sz(struct net *net,
-	const char *path, struct ctl_table *table, size_t table_size)
+	const char *path, const struct ctl_table *table, size_t table_size)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/net/sysctl_net.c b/net/sysctl_net.c
index 19e8048241ba..e190a639eef2 100644
--- a/net/sysctl_net.c
+++ b/net/sysctl_net.c
@@ -114,16 +114,17 @@ __init int net_sysctl_init(void)
 	goto out;
 }
 
-/* Verify that sysctls for non-init netns are safe by either:
+/* Return error when sysctls for non-init netns are unsafe by verifying:
  * 1) being read-only, or
  * 2) having a data pointer which points outside of the global kernel/module
  *    data segment, and rather into the heap where a per-net object was
  *    allocated.
  */
-static void ensure_safe_net_sysctl(struct net *net, const char *path,
-				   struct ctl_table *table, size_t table_size)
+static int ensure_safe_net_sysctl(struct net *net, const char *path,
+				  const struct ctl_table *table,
+				  size_t table_size)
 {
-	struct ctl_table *ent;
+	const struct ctl_table *ent;
 
 	pr_debug("Registering net sysctl (net %p): %s\n", net, path);
 	ent = table;
@@ -149,24 +150,24 @@ static void ensure_safe_net_sysctl(struct net *net, const char *path,
 		else
 			continue;
 
-		/* If it is writable and points to kernel/module global
-		 * data, then it's probably a netns leak.
-		 */
+		/* Warn on netns leak. */
 		WARN(1, "sysctl %s/%s: data points to %s global data: %ps\n",
 		     path, ent->procname, where, ent->data);
 
-		/* Make it "safe" by dropping writable perms */
-		ent->mode &= ~0222;
+		return -EACCES;
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct ctl_table_header *register_net_sysctl_sz(struct net *net,
 						const char *path,
-						struct ctl_table *table,
+						const struct ctl_table *table,
 						size_t table_size)
 {
 	if (!net_eq(net, &init_net))
-		ensure_safe_net_sysctl(net, path, table, table_size);
+		if (ensure_safe_net_sysctl(net, path, table, table_size))
+			return NULL;
 
 	return __register_sysctl_table(&net->sysctls, path, table, table_size);
 }