diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index 94ade43d5a45..46df6345bb99 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -3686,14 +3686,14 @@ static struct fib6_info *ip6_route_info_create(struct fib6_config *cfg,
 	rt->fib6_src.plen = cfg->fc_src_len;
 #endif
 	if (nh) {
-		if (!nexthop_get(nh)) {
-			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Nexthop has been deleted");
-			goto out;
-		}
 		if (rt->fib6_src.plen) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Nexthops can not be used with source routing");
 			goto out;
 		}
+		if (!nexthop_get(nh)) {
+			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Nexthop has been deleted");
+			goto out;
+		}
 		rt->nh = nh;
 		fib6_nh = nexthop_fib6_nh(rt->nh);
 	} else {