diff --git a/net/core/sockev_nlmcast.c b/net/core/sockev_nlmcast.c
index b9a47d4a650e..adf15daa816b 100644
--- a/net/core/sockev_nlmcast.c
+++ b/net/core/sockev_nlmcast.c
@@ -72,11 +72,13 @@ static int sockev_client_cb(struct notifier_block *nb,
 
 	sock = (struct socket *)data;
 	if (!socknlmsgsk || !sock)
-		goto done;
+		goto sk_null;
 
 	sk = sock->sk;
 	if (!sk)
-		goto done;
+		goto sk_null;
+
+	sock_hold(sk);
 
 	if (sk->sk_family != AF_INET && sk->sk_family != AF_INET6)
 		goto done;
@@ -106,6 +108,8 @@ static int sockev_client_cb(struct notifier_block *nb,
 	smsg->skflags = sk->sk_flags;
 	nlmsg_notify(socknlmsgsk, skb, 0, SKNLGRP_SOCKEV, 0, GFP_KERNEL);
 done:
+	sock_put(sk);
+sk_null:
 	return 0;
 }