diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_fib.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_fib.c
index 25a90f3f705c..4a664ad4f4d4 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_fib.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_fib.c
@@ -1993,14 +1993,19 @@ static void fib6_del_route(struct fib6_table *table, struct fib6_node *fn,
 /* Need to own table->tb6_lock */
 int fib6_del(struct fib6_info *rt, struct nl_info *info)
 {
-	struct fib6_node *fn = rcu_dereference_protected(rt->fib6_node,
-				    lockdep_is_held(&rt->fib6_table->tb6_lock));
-	struct fib6_table *table = rt->fib6_table;
 	struct net *net = info->nl_net;
 	struct fib6_info __rcu **rtp;
 	struct fib6_info __rcu **rtp_next;
+	struct fib6_table *table;
+	struct fib6_node *fn;
 
-	if (!fn || rt == net->ipv6.fib6_null_entry)
+	if (rt == net->ipv6.fib6_null_entry)
+		return -ENOENT;
+
+	table = rt->fib6_table;
+	fn = rcu_dereference_protected(rt->fib6_node,
+				       lockdep_is_held(&table->tb6_lock));
+	if (!fn)
 		return -ENOENT;
 
 	WARN_ON(!(fn->fn_flags & RTN_RTINFO));