diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 0e1e581efc5a..4a0e83709f29 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -1980,6 +1980,8 @@ enum netdev_reg_state {
  *	@qdisc_hash:		qdisc hash table
  *	@watchdog_timeo:	Represents the timeout that is used by
  *				the watchdog (see dev_watchdog())
+ *	@watchdog_lock:		protect watchdog_ref_held
+ *	@watchdog_ref_held:	True if the watchdog device ref is taken.
  *	@watchdog_timer:	List of timers
  *
  *	@proto_down_reason:	reason a netdev interface is held down
@@ -2392,6 +2394,8 @@ struct net_device {
 	/* These may be needed for future network-power-down code. */
 	struct timer_list	watchdog_timer;
 	int			watchdog_timeo;
+	spinlock_t		watchdog_lock;
+	bool			watchdog_ref_held;
 
 	u32                     proto_down_reason;
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 0c6c270d9f7d..731e661d7be6 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -11217,7 +11217,8 @@ static int netif_alloc_netdev_queues(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	netdev_for_each_tx_queue(dev, netdev_init_one_queue, NULL);
 	spin_lock_init(&dev->tx_global_lock);
-
+	spin_lock_init(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+	dev->watchdog_ref_held = false;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/sched/sch_generic.c b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
index a93321db8fd7..6cdf2ccfb093 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_generic.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
@@ -568,16 +568,24 @@ static void dev_watchdog(struct timer_list *t)
 				dev->netdev_ops->ndo_tx_timeout(dev, i);
 				netif_unfreeze_queues(dev);
 			}
-			if (!mod_timer(&dev->watchdog_timer,
-				       round_jiffies(oldest_start +
-						     dev->watchdog_timeo)))
-				release = false;
+			spin_lock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+			mod_timer(&dev->watchdog_timer,
+				  round_jiffies(oldest_start +
+						dev->watchdog_timeo));
+			release = false;
+			spin_unlock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
 		}
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&dev->tx_global_lock);
 
-	if (release)
+	spin_lock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+	if (timer_pending(&dev->watchdog_timer))
+		release = false;
+	if (release && dev->watchdog_ref_held) {
 		netdev_put(dev, &dev->watchdog_dev_tracker);
+		dev->watchdog_ref_held = false;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
 }
 
 void netdev_watchdog_up(struct net_device *dev)
@@ -586,18 +594,34 @@ void netdev_watchdog_up(struct net_device *dev)
 		return;
 	if (dev->watchdog_timeo <= 0)
 		dev->watchdog_timeo = 5*HZ;
+	spin_lock_bh(&dev->tx_global_lock);
+
+	spin_lock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
 	if (!mod_timer(&dev->watchdog_timer,
-		       round_jiffies(jiffies + dev->watchdog_timeo)))
-		netdev_hold(dev, &dev->watchdog_dev_tracker,
-			    GFP_ATOMIC);
+		       round_jiffies(jiffies + dev->watchdog_timeo))) {
+		if (!dev->watchdog_ref_held) {
+			netdev_hold(dev, &dev->watchdog_dev_tracker,
+				    GFP_ATOMIC);
+			dev->watchdog_ref_held = true;
+		}
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+
+	spin_unlock_bh(&dev->tx_global_lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(netdev_watchdog_up);
 
 static void netdev_watchdog_down(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	netif_tx_lock_bh(dev);
-	if (timer_delete(&dev->watchdog_timer))
+
+	spin_lock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+	if (timer_delete(&dev->watchdog_timer)) {
 		netdev_put(dev, &dev->watchdog_dev_tracker);
+		dev->watchdog_ref_held = false;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&dev->watchdog_lock);
+
 	netif_tx_unlock_bh(dev);
 }
 
@@ -614,8 +638,6 @@ void netif_carrier_on(struct net_device *dev)
 			return;
 		atomic_inc(&dev->carrier_up_count);
 		linkwatch_fire_event(dev);
-		if (netif_running(dev))
-			netdev_watchdog_up(dev);
 	}
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(netif_carrier_on);