diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index d1ddbc6ddac5..7c7e963260e1 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -1593,17 +1593,18 @@ static int __ip6_del_rt(struct rt6_info *rt, struct nl_info *info)
 	struct fib6_table *table;
 	struct net *net = dev_net(rt->dst.dev);
 
-	if (rt == net->ipv6.ip6_null_entry)
-		return -ENOENT;
+	if (rt == net->ipv6.ip6_null_entry) {
+		err = -ENOENT;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	table = rt->rt6i_table;
 	write_lock_bh(&table->tb6_lock);
-
 	err = fib6_del(rt, info);
-	dst_release(&rt->dst);
-
 	write_unlock_bh(&table->tb6_lock);
 
+out:
+	dst_release(&rt->dst);
 	return err;
 }