diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan.h b/net/8021q/vlan.h
index c46daf09a501..bb7ec1a3915d 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan.h
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ int vlan_check_real_dev(struct net_device *real_dev,
 void vlan_setup(struct net_device *dev);
 int register_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 void unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev, struct list_head *head);
+void vlan_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev);
 bool vlan_dev_inherit_address(struct net_device *dev,
 			      struct net_device *real_dev);
 
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c b/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
index e5bff5cc6f97..2a78da4072de 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
@@ -586,7 +586,8 @@ static int vlan_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void vlan_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
+/* Note: this function might be called multiple times for the same device. */
+void vlan_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct vlan_priority_tci_mapping *pm;
 	struct vlan_dev_priv *vlan = vlan_dev_priv(dev);
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
index c482a6fe9393..b2a4b8b5a0cd 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
@@ -179,10 +179,11 @@ static int vlan_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	err = vlan_changelink(dev, tb, data, extack);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return err;
-
-	return register_vlan_dev(dev, extack);
+	if (!err)
+		err = register_vlan_dev(dev, extack);
+	if (err)
+		vlan_dev_uninit(dev);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static inline size_t vlan_qos_map_size(unsigned int n)