diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
index b8c90f8d1a57..c3f8bac32584 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
@@ -328,8 +328,8 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_get_by_ifname(const struct net *net,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_get_by_ifname);
 
-static int l2tp_session_add_to_tunnel(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
-				      struct l2tp_session *session)
+int l2tp_session_register(struct l2tp_session *session,
+			  struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel)
 {
 	struct l2tp_session *session_walk;
 	struct hlist_head *g_head;
@@ -382,6 +382,10 @@ static int l2tp_session_add_to_tunnel(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 	hlist_add_head(&session->hlist, head);
 	write_unlock_bh(&tunnel->hlist_lock);
 
+	/* Ignore management session in session count value */
+	if (session->session_id != 0)
+		atomic_inc(&l2tp_session_count);
+
 	return 0;
 
 err_tlock_pnlock:
@@ -391,6 +395,7 @@ err_tlock:
 
 	return err;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_register);
 
 /* Lookup a tunnel by id
  */
@@ -1791,7 +1796,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(l2tp_session_set_header_len);
 struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_create(int priv_size, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, u32 session_id, u32 peer_session_id, struct l2tp_session_cfg *cfg)
 {
 	struct l2tp_session *session;
-	int err;
 
 	session = kzalloc(sizeof(struct l2tp_session) + priv_size, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (session != NULL) {
@@ -1848,17 +1852,6 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_create(int priv_size, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunn
 
 		refcount_set(&session->ref_count, 1);
 
-		err = l2tp_session_add_to_tunnel(tunnel, session);
-		if (err) {
-			kfree(session);
-
-			return ERR_PTR(err);
-		}
-
-		/* Ignore management session in session count value */
-		if (session->session_id != 0)
-			atomic_inc(&l2tp_session_count);
-
 		return session;
 	}
 
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
index 62598ee7b2e7..e75748cdedb9 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.h
@@ -257,6 +257,9 @@ struct l2tp_session *l2tp_session_create(int priv_size,
 					 struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 					 u32 session_id, u32 peer_session_id,
 					 struct l2tp_session_cfg *cfg);
+int l2tp_session_register(struct l2tp_session *session,
+			  struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel);
+
 void __l2tp_session_unhash(struct l2tp_session *session);
 int l2tp_session_delete(struct l2tp_session *session);
 void l2tp_session_free(struct l2tp_session *session);
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_eth.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_eth.c
index 014a7bc2a872..a7d76f5f31ff 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_eth.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_eth.c
@@ -271,6 +271,13 @@ static int l2tp_eth_create(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	l2tp_session_inc_refcount(session);
+	rc = l2tp_session_register(session, tunnel);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		kfree(session);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	dev = alloc_netdev(sizeof(*priv), name, name_assign_type,
 			   l2tp_eth_dev_setup);
 	if (!dev) {
@@ -304,6 +311,7 @@ static int l2tp_eth_create(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 	__module_get(THIS_MODULE);
 	/* Must be done after register_netdev() */
 	strlcpy(session->ifname, dev->name, IFNAMSIZ);
+	l2tp_session_dec_refcount(session);
 
 	dev_hold(dev);
 
@@ -314,6 +322,7 @@ out_del_dev:
 	spriv->dev = NULL;
 out_del_session:
 	l2tp_session_delete(session);
+	l2tp_session_dec_refcount(session);
 out:
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
index a7fcf48e9087..7ed06c420150 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ppp.c
@@ -725,6 +725,14 @@ static int pppol2tp_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uservaddr,
 			error = PTR_ERR(session);
 			goto end;
 		}
+
+		l2tp_session_inc_refcount(session);
+		error = l2tp_session_register(session, tunnel);
+		if (error < 0) {
+			kfree(session);
+			goto end;
+		}
+		drop_refcnt = true;
 	}
 
 	/* Associate session with its PPPoL2TP socket */
@@ -812,7 +820,7 @@ static int pppol2tp_session_create(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 	/* Error if tunnel socket is not prepped */
 	if (!tunnel->sock) {
 		error = -ENOENT;
-		goto out;
+		goto err;
 	}
 
 	/* Default MTU values. */
@@ -827,18 +835,21 @@ static int pppol2tp_session_create(struct net *net, struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel,
 				      peer_session_id, cfg);
 	if (IS_ERR(session)) {
 		error = PTR_ERR(session);
-		goto out;
+		goto err;
 	}
 
 	ps = l2tp_session_priv(session);
 	ps->tunnel_sock = tunnel->sock;
 
-	l2tp_info(session, L2TP_MSG_CONTROL, "%s: created\n",
-		  session->name);
+	error = l2tp_session_register(session, tunnel);
+	if (error < 0)
+		goto err_sess;
 
-	error = 0;
+	return 0;
 
-out:
+err_sess:
+	kfree(session);
+err:
 	return error;
 }