diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index 2b1ed8c6fcab..74b9b6fd4168 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -2743,20 +2743,24 @@ static int ip6_route_check_nh_onlink(struct net *net,
 	u32 tbid = l3mdev_fib_table(dev) ? : RT_TABLE_MAIN;
 	const struct in6_addr *gw_addr = &cfg->fc_gateway;
 	u32 flags = RTF_LOCAL | RTF_ANYCAST | RTF_REJECT;
+	struct fib6_info *from;
 	struct rt6_info *grt;
 	int err;
 
 	err = 0;
 	grt = ip6_nh_lookup_table(net, cfg, gw_addr, tbid, 0);
 	if (grt) {
+		rcu_read_lock();
+		from = rcu_dereference(grt->from);
 		if (!grt->dst.error &&
 		    /* ignore match if it is the default route */
-		    grt->from && !ipv6_addr_any(&grt->from->fib6_dst.addr) &&
+		    from && !ipv6_addr_any(&from->fib6_dst.addr) &&
 		    (grt->rt6i_flags & flags || dev != grt->dst.dev)) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack,
 				       "Nexthop has invalid gateway or device mismatch");
 			err = -EINVAL;
 		}
+		rcu_read_unlock();
 
 		ip6_rt_put(grt);
 	}