diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
index 240069a717be..0cb8056d9800 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ static struct ip6_tnl *ip6gre_tunnel_locate(struct net *net,
 	if (!(nt->parms.o_flags & TUNNEL_SEQ))
 		dev->features |= NETIF_F_LLTX;
 
-	dev_hold(dev);
 	ip6gre_tunnel_link(ign, nt);
 	return nt;
 
@@ -1526,8 +1525,6 @@ static void ip6gre_fb_tunnel_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	strcpy(tunnel->parms.name, dev->name);
 
 	tunnel->hlen		= sizeof(struct ipv6hdr) + 4;
-
-	dev_hold(dev);
 }
 
 static struct inet6_protocol ip6gre_protocol __read_mostly = {
diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
index 606807ba9481..fd0d1cee2d3f 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
@@ -1904,7 +1904,6 @@ static int __net_init ip6_fb_tnl_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct ip6_tnl_net *ip6n = net_generic(net, ip6_tnl_net_id);
 
 	t->parms.proto = IPPROTO_IPV6;
-	dev_hold(dev);
 
 	rcu_assign_pointer(ip6n->tnls_wc[0], t);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_vti.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_vti.c
index 01ddb0f70c57..12ab6605d961 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_vti.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_vti.c
@@ -952,7 +952,6 @@ static int __net_init vti6_fb_tnl_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct vti6_net *ip6n = net_generic(net, vti6_net_id);
 
 	t->parms.proto = IPPROTO_IPV6;
-	dev_hold(dev);
 
 	rcu_assign_pointer(ip6n->tnls_wc[0], t);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/sit.c b/net/ipv6/sit.c
index 64ce4cf62d25..7f9cae4c49e7 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/sit.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/sit.c
@@ -1422,7 +1422,6 @@ static void __net_init ipip6_fb_tunnel_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	iph->ihl		= 5;
 	iph->ttl		= 64;
 
-	dev_hold(dev);
 	rcu_assign_pointer(sitn->tunnels_wc[0], tunnel);
 }