diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index c0c291f..f1fe26f 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5589,6 +5589,7 @@
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(struct net_device *dev,
 					struct net_device *adj_dev,
+					u16 ref_nr,
 					struct list_head *dev_list,
 					void *private, bool master)
 {
@@ -5598,7 +5599,7 @@
 	adj = __netdev_find_adj(adj_dev, dev_list);
 
 	if (adj) {
-		adj->ref_nr++;
+		adj->ref_nr += ref_nr;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -5608,7 +5609,7 @@
 
 	adj->dev = adj_dev;
 	adj->master = master;
-	adj->ref_nr = 1;
+	adj->ref_nr = ref_nr;
 	adj->private = private;
 	dev_hold(adj_dev);
 
@@ -5647,6 +5648,7 @@
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(struct net_device *dev,
 					 struct net_device *adj_dev,
+					 u16 ref_nr,
 					 struct list_head *dev_list)
 {
 	struct netdev_adjacent *adj;
@@ -5659,10 +5661,10 @@
 		BUG();
 	}
 
-	if (adj->ref_nr > 1) {
-		pr_debug("%s to %s ref_nr-- = %d\n", dev->name, adj_dev->name,
-			 adj->ref_nr-1);
-		adj->ref_nr--;
+	if (adj->ref_nr > ref_nr) {
+		pr_debug("%s to %s ref_nr-%d = %d\n", dev->name, adj_dev->name,
+			 ref_nr, adj->ref_nr-ref_nr);
+		adj->ref_nr -= ref_nr;
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -5681,21 +5683,22 @@
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(struct net_device *dev,
 					    struct net_device *upper_dev,
+					    u16 ref_nr,
 					    struct list_head *up_list,
 					    struct list_head *down_list,
 					    void *private, bool master)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, up_list, private,
-					   master);
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list,
+					   private, master);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, down_list, private,
-					   false);
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, ref_nr, down_list,
+					   private, false);
 	if (ret) {
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, up_list);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -5703,9 +5706,10 @@
 }
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
-				      struct net_device *upper_dev)
+				      struct net_device *upper_dev,
+				      u16 ref_nr)
 {
-	return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+	return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr,
 						&dev->all_adj_list.upper,
 						&upper_dev->all_adj_list.lower,
 						NULL, false);
@@ -5713,17 +5717,19 @@
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(struct net_device *dev,
 					       struct net_device *upper_dev,
+					       u16 ref_nr,
 					       struct list_head *up_list,
 					       struct list_head *down_list)
 {
-	__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, up_list);
-	__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(upper_dev, dev, down_list);
+	__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list);
+	__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(upper_dev, dev, ref_nr, down_list);
 }
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(struct net_device *dev,
-					 struct net_device *upper_dev)
+					 struct net_device *upper_dev,
+					 u16 ref_nr)
 {
-	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr,
 					   &dev->all_adj_list.upper,
 					   &upper_dev->all_adj_list.lower);
 }
@@ -5732,17 +5738,17 @@
 						struct net_device *upper_dev,
 						void *private, bool master)
 {
-	int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev);
+	int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev, 1);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, 1,
 					       &dev->adj_list.upper,
 					       &upper_dev->adj_list.lower,
 					       private, master);
 	if (ret) {
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev, 1);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -5752,8 +5758,8 @@
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_neighbour(struct net_device *dev,
 						   struct net_device *upper_dev)
 {
-	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev);
-	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev, 1);
+	__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev, 1,
 					   &dev->adj_list.upper,
 					   &upper_dev->adj_list.lower);
 }
@@ -5806,7 +5812,7 @@
 		list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 			pr_debug("Interlinking %s with %s, non-neighbour\n",
 				 i->dev->name, j->dev->name);
-			ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev);
+			ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
 			if (ret)
 				goto rollback_mesh;
 		}
@@ -5816,7 +5822,7 @@
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 		pr_debug("linking %s's upper device %s with %s\n",
 			 upper_dev->name, i->dev->name, dev->name);
-		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev);
+		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
 		if (ret)
 			goto rollback_upper_mesh;
 	}
@@ -5825,7 +5831,7 @@
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list) {
 		pr_debug("linking %s's lower device %s with %s\n", dev->name,
 			 i->dev->name, upper_dev->name);
-		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev);
+		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
 		if (ret)
 			goto rollback_lower_mesh;
 	}
@@ -5843,7 +5849,7 @@
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list) {
 		if (i == to_i)
 			break;
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
 	}
 
 	i = NULL;
@@ -5853,7 +5859,7 @@
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 		if (i == to_i)
 			break;
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
 	}
 
 	i = j = NULL;
@@ -5865,7 +5871,7 @@
 		list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 			if (i == to_i && j == to_j)
 				break;
-			__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev);
+			__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
 		}
 		if (i == to_i)
 			break;
@@ -5945,16 +5951,16 @@
 	 */
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list)
 		list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list)
-			__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev);
+			__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
 
 	/* remove also the devices itself from lower/upper device
 	 * list
 	 */
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list)
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
 
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list)
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
 
 	call_netdevice_notifiers_info(NETDEV_CHANGEUPPER, dev,
 				      &changeupper_info.info);