diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
index db2e584c625e..f011af6601c9 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
@@ -650,6 +650,65 @@ static int pppol2tp_tunnel_mtu(const struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel)
 	return mtu - PPPOL2TP_HEADER_OVERHEAD;
 }
 
+static struct l2tp_tunnel *pppol2tp_tunnel_get(struct net *net,
+					       const struct l2tp_connect_info *info,
+					       bool *new_tunnel)
+{
+	struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel;
+	int error;
+
+	*new_tunnel = false;
+
+	tunnel = l2tp_tunnel_get(net, info->tunnel_id);
+
+	/* Special case: create tunnel context if session_id and
+	 * peer_session_id is 0. Otherwise look up tunnel using supplied
+	 * tunnel id.
+	 */
+	if (!info->session_id && !info->peer_session_id) {
+		if (!tunnel) {
+			struct l2tp_tunnel_cfg tcfg = {
+				.encap = L2TP_ENCAPTYPE_UDP,
+			};
+
+			/* Prevent l2tp_tunnel_register() from trying to set up
+			 * a kernel socket.
+			 */
+			if (info->fd < 0)
+				return ERR_PTR(-EBADF);
+
+			error = l2tp_tunnel_create(info->fd,
+						   info->version,
+						   info->tunnel_id,
+						   info->peer_tunnel_id, &tcfg,
+						   &tunnel);
+			if (error < 0)
+				return ERR_PTR(error);
+
+			l2tp_tunnel_inc_refcount(tunnel);
+			error = l2tp_tunnel_register(tunnel, net, &tcfg);
+			if (error < 0) {
+				kfree(tunnel);
+				return ERR_PTR(error);
+			}
+
+			*new_tunnel = true;
+		}
+	} else {
+		/* Error if we can't find the tunnel */
+		if (!tunnel)
+			return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
+
+		/* Error if socket is not prepped */
+		if (!tunnel->sock) {
+			l2tp_tunnel_dec_refcount(tunnel);
+			return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return tunnel;
+}
+
 /* connect() handler. Attach a PPPoX socket to a tunnel UDP socket
  */
 static int pppol2tp_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uservaddr,
@@ -663,7 +722,6 @@ static int pppol2tp_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uservaddr,
 	struct pppol2tp_session *ps;
 	struct l2tp_session_cfg cfg = { 0, };
 	bool drop_refcnt = false;
-	bool drop_tunnel = false;
 	bool new_session = false;
 	bool new_tunnel = false;
 	int error;
@@ -672,6 +730,14 @@ static int pppol2tp_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uservaddr,
 	if (error < 0)
 		return error;
 
+	/* Don't bind if tunnel_id is 0 */
+	if (!info.tunnel_id)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	tunnel = pppol2tp_tunnel_get(sock_net(sk), &info, &new_tunnel);
+	if (IS_ERR(tunnel))
+		return PTR_ERR(tunnel);
+
 	lock_sock(sk);
 
 	/* Check for already bound sockets */
@@ -684,62 +750,6 @@ static int pppol2tp_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uservaddr,
 	if (sk->sk_user_data)
 		goto end; /* socket is already attached */
 
-	/* Don't bind if tunnel_id is 0 */
-	error = -EINVAL;
-	if (!info.tunnel_id)
-		goto end;
-
-	tunnel = l2tp_tunnel_get(sock_net(sk), info.tunnel_id);
-	if (tunnel)
-		drop_tunnel = true;
-
-	/* Special case: create tunnel context if session_id and
-	 * peer_session_id is 0. Otherwise look up tunnel using supplied
-	 * tunnel id.
-	 */
-	if (!info.session_id && !info.peer_session_id) {
-		if (!tunnel) {
-			struct l2tp_tunnel_cfg tcfg = {
-				.encap = L2TP_ENCAPTYPE_UDP,
-			};
-
-			/* Prevent l2tp_tunnel_register() from trying to set up
-			 * a kernel socket.
-			 */
-			if (info.fd < 0) {
-				error = -EBADF;
-				goto end;
-			}
-
-			error = l2tp_tunnel_create(info.fd,
-						   info.version,
-						   info.tunnel_id,
-						   info.peer_tunnel_id, &tcfg,
-						   &tunnel);
-			if (error < 0)
-				goto end;
-
-			l2tp_tunnel_inc_refcount(tunnel);
-			error = l2tp_tunnel_register(tunnel, sock_net(sk),
-						     &tcfg);
-			if (error < 0) {
-				kfree(tunnel);
-				goto end;
-			}
-			drop_tunnel = true;
-			new_tunnel = true;
-		}
-	} else {
-		/* Error if we can't find the tunnel */
-		error = -ENOENT;
-		if (!tunnel)
-			goto end;
-
-		/* Error if socket is not prepped */
-		if (!tunnel->sock)
-			goto end;
-	}
-
 	if (tunnel->peer_tunnel_id == 0)
 		tunnel->peer_tunnel_id = info.peer_tunnel_id;
 
@@ -840,8 +850,7 @@ end:
 	}
 	if (drop_refcnt)
 		l2tp_session_dec_refcount(session);
-	if (drop_tunnel)
-		l2tp_tunnel_dec_refcount(tunnel);
+	l2tp_tunnel_dec_refcount(tunnel);
 	release_sock(sk);
 
 	return error;