diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
index 561b6d67ab8b..dc8987ed08ad 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
@@ -1480,11 +1480,15 @@ int l2tp_tunnel_register(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct net *net,
 	tunnel->l2tp_net = net;
 	pn = l2tp_pernet(net);
 
+	sk = sock->sk;
+	sock_hold(sk);
+	tunnel->sock = sk;
+
 	spin_lock_bh(&pn->l2tp_tunnel_list_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(tunnel_walk, &pn->l2tp_tunnel_list, list) {
 		if (tunnel_walk->tunnel_id == tunnel->tunnel_id) {
 			spin_unlock_bh(&pn->l2tp_tunnel_list_lock);
-
+			sock_put(sk);
 			ret = -EEXIST;
 			goto err_sock;
 		}
@@ -1492,10 +1496,6 @@ int l2tp_tunnel_register(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct net *net,
 	list_add_rcu(&tunnel->list, &pn->l2tp_tunnel_list);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&pn->l2tp_tunnel_list_lock);
 
-	sk = sock->sk;
-	sock_hold(sk);
-	tunnel->sock = sk;
-
 	if (tunnel->encap == L2TP_ENCAPTYPE_UDP) {
 		struct udp_tunnel_sock_cfg udp_cfg = {
 			.sk_user_data = tunnel,