diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 1313456a0994..9d22f08896c6 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ struct net {
 	struct hlist_head	*dev_index_head;
 	unsigned int		dev_base_seq;	/* protected by rtnl_mutex */
 	int			ifindex;
+	unsigned int		dev_unreg_count;
 
 	/* core fib_rules */
 	struct list_head	rules_ops;
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 5c713f2239cc..65f829cfd928 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5247,10 +5247,12 @@ static int dev_new_index(struct net *net)
 
 /* Delayed registration/unregisteration */
 static LIST_HEAD(net_todo_list);
+static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(netdev_unregistering_wq);
 
 static void net_set_todo(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	list_add_tail(&dev->todo_list, &net_todo_list);
+	dev_net(dev)->dev_unreg_count++;
 }
 
 static void rollback_registered_many(struct list_head *head)
@@ -5918,6 +5920,12 @@ void netdev_run_todo(void)
 		if (dev->destructor)
 			dev->destructor(dev);
 
+		/* Report a network device has been unregistered */
+		rtnl_lock();
+		dev_net(dev)->dev_unreg_count--;
+		__rtnl_unlock();
+		wake_up(&netdev_unregistering_wq);
+
 		/* Free network device */
 		kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj);
 	}
@@ -6603,6 +6611,34 @@ static void __net_exit default_device_exit(struct net *net)
 	rtnl_unlock();
 }
 
+static void __net_exit rtnl_lock_unregistering(struct list_head *net_list)
+{
+	/* Return with the rtnl_lock held when there are no network
+	 * devices unregistering in any network namespace in net_list.
+	 */
+	struct net *net;
+	bool unregistering;
+	DEFINE_WAIT(wait);
+
+	for (;;) {
+		prepare_to_wait(&netdev_unregistering_wq, &wait,
+				TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
+		unregistering = false;
+		rtnl_lock();
+		list_for_each_entry(net, net_list, exit_list) {
+			if (net->dev_unreg_count > 0) {
+				unregistering = true;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!unregistering)
+			break;
+		__rtnl_unlock();
+		schedule();
+	}
+	finish_wait(&netdev_unregistering_wq, &wait);
+}
+
 static void __net_exit default_device_exit_batch(struct list_head *net_list)
 {
 	/* At exit all network devices most be removed from a network
@@ -6614,7 +6650,18 @@ static void __net_exit default_device_exit_batch(struct list_head *net_list)
 	struct net *net;
 	LIST_HEAD(dev_kill_list);
 
-	rtnl_lock();
+	/* To prevent network device cleanup code from dereferencing
+	 * loopback devices or network devices that have been freed
+	 * wait here for all pending unregistrations to complete,
+	 * before unregistring the loopback device and allowing the
+	 * network namespace be freed.
+	 *
+	 * The netdev todo list containing all network devices
+	 * unregistrations that happen in default_device_exit_batch
+	 * will run in the rtnl_unlock() at the end of
+	 * default_device_exit_batch.
+	 */
+	rtnl_lock_unregistering(net_list);
 	list_for_each_entry(net, net_list, exit_list) {
 		for_each_netdev_reverse(net, dev) {
 			if (dev->rtnl_link_ops)