diff --git a/net/wireless/wext-core.c b/net/wireless/wext-core.c
index c8717c1d082e..87dd619fb2e9 100644
--- a/net/wireless/wext-core.c
+++ b/net/wireless/wext-core.c
@@ -342,6 +342,39 @@ static const int compat_event_type_size[] = {
 
 /* IW event code */
 
+static void wireless_nlevent_flush(void)
+{
+	struct sk_buff *skb;
+	struct net *net;
+
+	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
+	for_each_net(net) {
+		while ((skb = skb_dequeue(&net->wext_nlevents)))
+			rtnl_notify(skb, net, 0, RTNLGRP_LINK, NULL,
+				    GFP_KERNEL);
+	}
+}
+
+static int wext_netdev_notifier_call(struct notifier_block *nb,
+				     unsigned long state, void *ptr)
+{
+	/*
+	 * When a netdev changes state in any way, flush all pending messages
+	 * to avoid them going out in a strange order, e.g. RTM_NEWLINK after
+	 * RTM_DELLINK, or with IFF_UP after without IFF_UP during dev_close()
+	 * or similar - all of which could otherwise happen due to delays from
+	 * schedule_work().
+	 */
+	wireless_nlevent_flush();
+
+	return NOTIFY_OK;
+}
+
+static struct notifier_block wext_netdev_notifier = {
+	.notifier_call = wext_netdev_notifier_call,
+};
+
 static int __net_init wext_pernet_init(struct net *net)
 {
 	skb_queue_head_init(&net->wext_nlevents);
@@ -360,7 +393,12 @@ static struct pernet_operations wext_pernet_ops = {
 
 static int __init wireless_nlevent_init(void)
 {
-	return register_pernet_subsys(&wext_pernet_ops);
+	int err = register_pernet_subsys(&wext_pernet_ops);
+
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	return register_netdevice_notifier(&wext_netdev_notifier);
 }
 
 subsys_initcall(wireless_nlevent_init);
@@ -368,17 +406,8 @@ subsys_initcall(wireless_nlevent_init);
 /* Process events generated by the wireless layer or the driver. */
 static void wireless_nlevent_process(struct work_struct *work)
 {
-	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	struct net *net;
-
 	rtnl_lock();
-
-	for_each_net(net) {
-		while ((skb = skb_dequeue(&net->wext_nlevents)))
-			rtnl_notify(skb, net, 0, RTNLGRP_LINK, NULL,
-				    GFP_KERNEL);
-	}
-
+	wireless_nlevent_flush();
 	rtnl_unlock();
 }