diff --git a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
index f4070e54d1a1..b872515f2137 100644
--- a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
+++ b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ struct lowpan_fragment {
 
 static unsigned short fragment_tag;
 static LIST_HEAD(lowpan_fragments);
-spinlock_t flist_lock;
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(flist_lock);
 
 static inline struct
 lowpan_dev_info *lowpan_dev_info(const struct net_device *dev)
@@ -1186,8 +1186,6 @@ static int lowpan_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 	list_add_tail(&entry->list, &lowpan_devices);
 	mutex_unlock(&lowpan_dev_info(dev)->dev_list_mtx);
 
-	spin_lock_init(&flist_lock);
-
 	register_netdevice(dev);
 
 	return 0;