diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
index 797ff373e486..787ac0ef1823 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
@@ -280,7 +280,8 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunn
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_find);
 
-struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth)
+struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_get_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth,
+					  bool do_ref)
 {
 	int hash;
 	struct l2tp_session *session;
@@ -290,6 +291,9 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth)
 	for (hash = 0; hash < L2TP_HASH_SIZE; hash++) {
 		hlist_for_each_entry(session, &tunnel->session_hlist[hash], hlist) {
 			if (++count > nth) {
+				l2tp_session_inc_refcount(session);
+				if (do_ref && session->ref)
+					session->ref(session);
 				read_unlock_bh(&tunnel->hlist_lock);
 				return session;
 			}
@@ -300,7 +304,7 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth)
 
 	return NULL;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_find_nth);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_get_nth);
 
 /* Lookup a session by interface name.
  * This is very inefficient but is only used by management interfaces.
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
index a98c854c2527..54f89f38386e 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@ out:
 extern struct sock *l2tp_tunnel_sock_lookup(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel);
 extern void l2tp_tunnel_sock_put(struct sock *sk);
 extern struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, u32 session_id);
-extern struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth);
+extern struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_get_nth(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, int nth,
+						 bool do_ref);
 extern struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_find_by_ifname(struct net *net, char *ifname);
 extern struct l2tp_tunnel *l2tp_tunnel_find(struct net *net, u32 tunnel_id);
 extern struct l2tp_tunnel *l2tp_tunnel_find_nth(struct net *net, int nth);
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_debugfs.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_debugfs.c
index 072d7202e182..c6bd783cfb1b 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_debugfs.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_debugfs.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ static void l2tp_dfs_next_tunnel(struct l2tp_dfs_seq_data *pd)
 
 static void l2tp_dfs_next_session(struct l2tp_dfs_seq_data *pd)
 {
-	pd->session = l2tp_session_find_nth(pd->tunnel, pd->session_idx);
+	pd->session = l2tp_session_get_nth(pd->tunnel, pd->session_idx, true);
 	pd->session_idx++;
 
 	if (pd->session == NULL) {
@@ -237,10 +237,14 @@ static int l2tp_dfs_seq_show(struct seq_file *m, void *v)
 	}
 
 	/* Show the tunnel or session context */
-	if (pd->session == NULL)
+	if (!pd->session) {
 		l2tp_dfs_seq_tunnel_show(m, pd->tunnel);
-	else
+	} else {
 		l2tp_dfs_seq_session_show(m, pd->session);
+		if (pd->session->deref)
+			pd->session->deref(pd->session);
+		l2tp_session_dec_refcount(pd->session);
+	}
 
 out:
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_netlink.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_netlink.c
index 0825ff26e113..490024eaece8 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_netlink.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_netlink.c
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ static int l2tp_nl_cmd_session_dump(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback
 				goto out;
 		}
 
-		session = l2tp_session_find_nth(tunnel, si);
+		session = l2tp_session_get_nth(tunnel, si, false);
 		if (session == NULL) {
 			ti++;
 			tunnel = NULL;
@@ -729,8 +729,11 @@ static int l2tp_nl_cmd_session_dump(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback
 
 		if (l2tp_nl_session_send(skb, NETLINK_CB(cb->skb).portid,
 					 cb->nlh->nlmsg_seq, NLM_F_MULTI,
-					 session) <= 0)
+					 session) <= 0) {
+			l2tp_session_dec_refcount(session);
 			break;
+		}
+		l2tp_session_dec_refcount(session);
 
 		si++;
 	}
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
index c3ae2411650c..c06c7ed47b69 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
@@ -1576,7 +1576,7 @@ static void pppol2tp_next_tunnel(struct net *net, struct pppol2tp_seq_data *pd)
 
 static void pppol2tp_next_session(struct net *net, struct pppol2tp_seq_data *pd)
 {
-	pd->session = l2tp_session_find_nth(pd->tunnel, pd->session_idx);
+	pd->session = l2tp_session_get_nth(pd->tunnel, pd->session_idx, true);
 	pd->session_idx++;
 
 	if (pd->session == NULL) {
@@ -1703,10 +1703,14 @@ static int pppol2tp_seq_show(struct seq_file *m, void *v)
 
 	/* Show the tunnel or session context.
 	 */
-	if (pd->session == NULL)
+	if (!pd->session) {
 		pppol2tp_seq_tunnel_show(m, pd->tunnel);
-	else
+	} else {
 		pppol2tp_seq_session_show(m, pd->session);
+		if (pd->session->deref)
+			pd->session->deref(pd->session);
+		l2tp_session_dec_refcount(pd->session);
+	}
 
 out:
 	return 0;