diff --git a/net/decnet/dn_route.c b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
index fe32388ea24f..b9610051f3b2 100644
--- a/net/decnet/dn_route.c
+++ b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
@@ -1030,10 +1030,13 @@ source_ok:
 	if (!fld.daddr) {
 		fld.daddr = fld.saddr;
 
-		err = -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 		if (dev_out)
 			dev_put(dev_out);
+		err = -EINVAL;
 		dev_out = init_net.loopback_dev;
+		if (!dev_out->dn_ptr)
+			goto out;
+		err = -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 		dev_hold(dev_out);
 		if (!fld.daddr) {
 			fld.daddr =
@@ -1106,6 +1109,8 @@ source_ok:
 		if (dev_out == NULL)
 			goto out;
 		dn_db = rcu_dereference_raw(dev_out->dn_ptr);
+		if (!dn_db)
+			goto e_inval;
 		/* Possible improvement - check all devices for local addr */
 		if (dn_dev_islocal(dev_out, fld.daddr)) {
 			dev_put(dev_out);
@@ -1147,6 +1152,8 @@ select_source:
 			dev_put(dev_out);
 		dev_out = init_net.loopback_dev;
 		dev_hold(dev_out);
+		if (!dev_out->dn_ptr)
+			goto e_inval;
 		fld.flowidn_oif = dev_out->ifindex;
 		if (res.fi)
 			dn_fib_info_put(res.fi);