diff --git a/net/netfilter/core.c b/net/netfilter/core.c
index 354cb472f386..8a77a3fd69bc 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/core.c
@@ -428,14 +428,15 @@ static int __nf_register_net_hook(struct net *net, int pf,
 	p = nf_entry_dereference(*pp);
 	new_hooks = nf_hook_entries_grow(p, reg);
 
-	if (!IS_ERR(new_hooks))
+	if (!IS_ERR(new_hooks)) {
+		hooks_validate(new_hooks);
 		rcu_assign_pointer(*pp, new_hooks);
+	}
 
 	mutex_unlock(&nf_hook_mutex);
 	if (IS_ERR(new_hooks))
 		return PTR_ERR(new_hooks);
 
-	hooks_validate(new_hooks);
 #ifdef CONFIG_NETFILTER_INGRESS
 	if (nf_ingress_hook(reg, pf))
 		net_inc_ingress_queue();