diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
index 2a2be8bd3c93b9bcd43907f7714e96d4ba07ef09..dfc1b8218faadb24906c2488c7a49808af851b23 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
@@ -1896,6 +1896,7 @@ int ip6_send_skb(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	struct rt6_info *rt = (struct rt6_info *)skb_dst(skb);
 	int err;
 
+	rcu_read_lock();
 	err = ip6_local_out(net, skb->sk, skb);
 	if (err) {
 		if (err > 0)
@@ -1905,6 +1906,7 @@ int ip6_send_skb(struct sk_buff *skb)
 				      IPSTATS_MIB_OUTDISCARDS);
 	}
 
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return err;
 }