diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index f91abf800161..3ca300d85271 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5579,7 +5579,12 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 		}
 	}
 
-	dev->ifindex = dev_new_index(net);
+	ret = -EBUSY;
+	if (!dev->ifindex)
+		dev->ifindex = dev_new_index(net);
+	else if (__dev_get_by_index(net, dev->ifindex))
+		goto err_uninit;
+
 	if (dev->iflink == -1)
 		dev->iflink = dev->ifindex;
 
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index db037c9a4c48..34d975b0f277 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -1812,8 +1812,6 @@ replay:
 			return -ENODEV;
 		}
 
-		if (ifm->ifi_index)
-			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		if (tb[IFLA_MAP] || tb[IFLA_MASTER] || tb[IFLA_PROTINFO])
 			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
@@ -1839,10 +1837,14 @@ replay:
 			return PTR_ERR(dest_net);
 
 		dev = rtnl_create_link(net, dest_net, ifname, ops, tb);
-
-		if (IS_ERR(dev))
+		if (IS_ERR(dev)) {
 			err = PTR_ERR(dev);
-		else if (ops->newlink)
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		dev->ifindex = ifm->ifi_index;
+
+		if (ops->newlink)
 			err = ops->newlink(net, dev, tb, data);
 		else
 			err = register_netdevice(dev);