diff --git a/net/netlink/genetlink.c b/net/netlink/genetlink.c
index 512718adb0d5..f85f8a2ad6cf 100644
--- a/net/netlink/genetlink.c
+++ b/net/netlink/genetlink.c
@@ -789,6 +789,10 @@ static int ctrl_dumpfamily(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 	struct net *net = sock_net(skb->sk);
 	int chains_to_skip = cb->args[0];
 	int fams_to_skip = cb->args[1];
+	bool need_locking = chains_to_skip || fams_to_skip;
+
+	if (need_locking)
+		genl_lock();
 
 	for (i = chains_to_skip; i < GENL_FAM_TAB_SIZE; i++) {
 		n = 0;
@@ -810,6 +814,9 @@ errout:
 	cb->args[0] = i;
 	cb->args[1] = n;
 
+	if (need_locking)
+		genl_unlock();
+
 	return skb->len;
 }