diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst
index f2ab8a5b6a4b..7f553859dba8 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ poll cycle or the number of packets processed reaches netdev_budget.
 netdev_max_backlog
 ------------------
 
-Maximum number  of  packets,  queued  on  the  INPUT  side, when the interface
+Maximum number of packets, queued on the INPUT side, when the interface
 receives packets faster than kernel can process them.
 
 netdev_rss_key
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 701a1afc91ff..215c43aecc67 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -4516,7 +4516,7 @@ static bool skb_flow_limit(struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int qlen)
 	struct softnet_data *sd;
 	unsigned int old_flow, new_flow;
 
-	if (qlen < (netdev_max_backlog >> 1))
+	if (qlen < (READ_ONCE(netdev_max_backlog) >> 1))
 		return false;
 
 	sd = this_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data);
@@ -4564,7 +4564,7 @@ static int enqueue_to_backlog(struct sk_buff *skb, int cpu,
 	if (!netif_running(skb->dev))
 		goto drop;
 	qlen = skb_queue_len(&sd->input_pkt_queue);
-	if (qlen <= netdev_max_backlog && !skb_flow_limit(skb, qlen)) {
+	if (qlen <= READ_ONCE(netdev_max_backlog) && !skb_flow_limit(skb, qlen)) {
 		if (qlen) {
 enqueue:
 			__skb_queue_tail(&sd->input_pkt_queue, skb);
diff --git a/net/core/gro_cells.c b/net/core/gro_cells.c
index 6eb2e5ec2c50..2f66f3f29563 100644
--- a/net/core/gro_cells.c
+++ b/net/core/gro_cells.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ int gro_cells_receive(struct gro_cells *gcells, struct sk_buff *skb)
 
 	cell = this_cpu_ptr(gcells->cells);
 
-	if (skb_queue_len(&cell->napi_skbs) > netdev_max_backlog) {
+	if (skb_queue_len(&cell->napi_skbs) > READ_ONCE(netdev_max_backlog)) {
 drop:
 		atomic_long_inc(&dev->rx_dropped);
 		kfree_skb(skb);
diff --git a/net/xfrm/espintcp.c b/net/xfrm/espintcp.c
index 1f08ebf7d80c..24ca49ecebea 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/espintcp.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/espintcp.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ int espintcp_queue_out(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb)
 {
 	struct espintcp_ctx *ctx = espintcp_getctx(sk);
 
-	if (skb_queue_len(&ctx->out_queue) >= netdev_max_backlog)
+	if (skb_queue_len(&ctx->out_queue) >= READ_ONCE(netdev_max_backlog))
 		return -ENOBUFS;
 
 	__skb_queue_tail(&ctx->out_queue, skb);
diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c
index 61e6220ddd5a..77e82033ad70 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c
@@ -782,7 +782,7 @@ int xfrm_trans_queue_net(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb,
 
 	trans = this_cpu_ptr(&xfrm_trans_tasklet);
 
-	if (skb_queue_len(&trans->queue) >= netdev_max_backlog)
+	if (skb_queue_len(&trans->queue) >= READ_ONCE(netdev_max_backlog))
 		return -ENOBUFS;
 
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(sizeof(struct xfrm_trans_cb) > sizeof(skb->cb));