diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
index d7f61b0547c6..d2715b4d2e72 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ static int ctnetlink_del_conntrack(struct net *net, struct sock *ctnl,
 	struct nf_conntrack_tuple tuple;
 	struct nf_conn *ct;
 	struct nfgenmsg *nfmsg = nlmsg_data(nlh);
-	u_int8_t u3 = nfmsg->nfgen_family;
+	u_int8_t u3 = nfmsg->version ? nfmsg->nfgen_family : AF_UNSPEC;
 	struct nf_conntrack_zone zone;
 	int err;