diff --git a/drivers/net/macvlan.c b/drivers/net/macvlan.c
index 2bcf1f321bea..cb01023eab41 100644
--- a/drivers/net/macvlan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/macvlan.c
@@ -795,6 +795,7 @@ static int macvlan_init(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct macvlan_dev *vlan = netdev_priv(dev);
 	const struct net_device *lowerdev = vlan->lowerdev;
+	struct macvlan_port *port = vlan->port;
 
 	dev->state		= (dev->state & ~MACVLAN_STATE_MASK) |
 				  (lowerdev->state & MACVLAN_STATE_MASK);
@@ -812,6 +813,8 @@ static int macvlan_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	if (!vlan->pcpu_stats)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	port->count += 1;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1312,10 +1315,9 @@ int macvlan_common_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 			return err;
 	}
 
-	port->count += 1;
 	err = register_netdevice(dev);
 	if (err < 0)
-		goto destroy_port;
+		return err;
 
 	dev->priv_flags |= IFF_MACVLAN;
 	err = netdev_upper_dev_link(lowerdev, dev);
@@ -1330,10 +1332,6 @@ int macvlan_common_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 
 unregister_netdev:
 	unregister_netdevice(dev);
-destroy_port:
-	port->count -= 1;
-	if (!port->count)
-		macvlan_port_destroy(lowerdev);
 
 	return err;
 }