diff --git a/net/bridge/br_private.h b/net/bridge/br_private.h
index 2920e06a5403..04c19a37e500 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_private.h
+++ b/net/bridge/br_private.h
@@ -102,12 +102,18 @@ struct br_tunnel_info {
 	struct metadata_dst	*tunnel_dst;
 };
 
+/* private vlan flags */
+enum {
+	BR_VLFLAG_PER_PORT_STATS = BIT(0),
+};
+
 /**
  * struct net_bridge_vlan - per-vlan entry
  *
  * @vnode: rhashtable member
  * @vid: VLAN id
  * @flags: bridge vlan flags
+ * @priv_flags: private (in-kernel) bridge vlan flags
  * @stats: per-cpu VLAN statistics
  * @br: if MASTER flag set, this points to a bridge struct
  * @port: if MASTER flag unset, this points to a port struct
@@ -127,6 +133,7 @@ struct net_bridge_vlan {
 	struct rhash_head		tnode;
 	u16				vid;
 	u16				flags;
+	u16				priv_flags;
 	struct br_vlan_stats __percpu	*stats;
 	union {
 		struct net_bridge	*br;
diff --git a/net/bridge/br_vlan.c b/net/bridge/br_vlan.c
index 8c9297a01947..e84be08b8285 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_vlan.c
+++ b/net/bridge/br_vlan.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static void nbp_vlan_rcu_free(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 	v = container_of(rcu, struct net_bridge_vlan, rcu);
 	WARN_ON(br_vlan_is_master(v));
 	/* if we had per-port stats configured then free them here */
-	if (v->brvlan->stats != v->stats)
+	if (v->priv_flags & BR_VLFLAG_PER_PORT_STATS)
 		free_percpu(v->stats);
 	v->stats = NULL;
 	kfree(v);
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ static int __vlan_add(struct net_bridge_vlan *v, u16 flags)
 				err = -ENOMEM;
 				goto out_filt;
 			}
+			v->priv_flags |= BR_VLFLAG_PER_PORT_STATS;
 		} else {
 			v->stats = masterv->stats;
 		}