diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
index 38bd7124d9f7..a20cd82446c5 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
@@ -2636,7 +2636,6 @@ static const struct nla_policy exp_nla_policy[CTA_EXPECT_MAX+1] = {
 
 static struct nf_conntrack_expect *
 ctnetlink_alloc_expect(const struct nlattr *const cda[], struct nf_conn *ct,
-		       struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper,
 		       struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple,
 		       struct nf_conntrack_tuple *mask);
 
@@ -2865,7 +2864,6 @@ ctnetlink_glue_attach_expect(const struct nlattr *attr, struct nf_conn *ct,
 {
 	struct nlattr *cda[CTA_EXPECT_MAX+1];
 	struct nf_conntrack_tuple tuple, mask;
-	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper = NULL;
 	struct nf_conntrack_expect *exp;
 	int err;
 
@@ -2879,17 +2877,8 @@ ctnetlink_glue_attach_expect(const struct nlattr *attr, struct nf_conn *ct,
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
-	if (cda[CTA_EXPECT_HELP_NAME]) {
-		const char *helpname = nla_data(cda[CTA_EXPECT_HELP_NAME]);
-
-		helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find(helpname, nf_ct_l3num(ct),
-						    nf_ct_protonum(ct));
-		if (helper == NULL)
-			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-	}
-
 	exp = ctnetlink_alloc_expect((const struct nlattr * const *)cda, ct,
-				     helper, &tuple, &mask);
+				     &tuple, &mask);
 	if (IS_ERR(exp))
 		return PTR_ERR(exp);
 
@@ -3528,11 +3517,11 @@ ctnetlink_parse_expect_nat(const struct nlattr *attr,
 
 static struct nf_conntrack_expect *
 ctnetlink_alloc_expect(const struct nlattr * const cda[], struct nf_conn *ct,
-		       struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper,
 		       struct nf_conntrack_tuple *tuple,
 		       struct nf_conntrack_tuple *mask)
 {
 	struct net *net = read_pnet(&ct->ct_net);
+	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper;
 	struct nf_conntrack_expect *exp;
 	struct nf_conn_help *help;
 	u32 class = 0;
@@ -3542,7 +3531,11 @@ ctnetlink_alloc_expect(const struct nlattr * const cda[], struct nf_conn *ct,
 	if (!help)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EOPNOTSUPP);
 
-	if (cda[CTA_EXPECT_CLASS] && helper) {
+	helper = rcu_dereference(help->helper);
+	if (!helper)
+		return ERR_PTR(-EOPNOTSUPP);
+
+	if (cda[CTA_EXPECT_CLASS]) {
 		class = ntohl(nla_get_be32(cda[CTA_EXPECT_CLASS]));
 		if (class > helper->expect_class_max)
 			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
@@ -3576,8 +3569,6 @@ ctnetlink_alloc_expect(const struct nlattr * const cda[], struct nf_conn *ct,
 #ifdef CONFIG_NF_CONNTRACK_ZONES
 	exp->zone = ct->zone;
 #endif
-	if (!helper)
-		helper = rcu_dereference(help->helper);
 	rcu_assign_pointer(exp->helper, helper);
 	exp->tuple = *tuple;
 	exp->mask.src.u3 = mask->src.u3;
@@ -3609,7 +3600,6 @@ ctnetlink_create_expect(struct net *net,
 {
 	struct nf_conntrack_tuple tuple, mask, master_tuple;
 	struct nf_conntrack_tuple_hash *h = NULL;
-	struct nf_conntrack_helper *helper = NULL;
 	struct nf_conntrack_expect *exp;
 	struct nf_conn *ct;
 	int err;
@@ -3635,33 +3625,7 @@ ctnetlink_create_expect(struct net *net,
 	ct = nf_ct_tuplehash_to_ctrack(h);
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
-	if (cda[CTA_EXPECT_HELP_NAME]) {
-		const char *helpname = nla_data(cda[CTA_EXPECT_HELP_NAME]);
-
-		helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find(helpname, u3,
-						    nf_ct_protonum(ct));
-		if (helper == NULL) {
-			rcu_read_unlock();
-#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
-			if (request_module("nfct-helper-%s", helpname) < 0) {
-				err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
-				goto err_ct;
-			}
-			rcu_read_lock();
-			helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find(helpname, u3,
-							    nf_ct_protonum(ct));
-			if (helper) {
-				err = -EAGAIN;
-				goto err_rcu;
-			}
-			rcu_read_unlock();
-#endif
-			err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
-			goto err_ct;
-		}
-	}
-
-	exp = ctnetlink_alloc_expect(cda, ct, helper, &tuple, &mask);
+	exp = ctnetlink_alloc_expect(cda, ct, &tuple, &mask);
 	if (IS_ERR(exp)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(exp);
 		goto err_rcu;
@@ -3671,8 +3635,8 @@ ctnetlink_create_expect(struct net *net,
 	nf_ct_expect_put(exp);
 err_rcu:
 	rcu_read_unlock();
-err_ct:
 	nf_ct_put(ct);
+
 	return err;
 }