diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
index 1161fd5630c1..7e11f6a811f5 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
@@ -297,13 +297,16 @@ static struct ip6_tnl *ip6_tnl_create(struct net *net, struct __ip6_tnl_parm *p)
 	struct net_device *dev;
 	struct ip6_tnl *t;
 	char name[IFNAMSIZ];
-	int err = -ENOMEM;
+	int err = -E2BIG;
 
-	if (p->name[0])
+	if (p->name[0]) {
+		if (!dev_valid_name(p->name))
+			goto failed;
 		strlcpy(name, p->name, IFNAMSIZ);
-	else
+	} else {
 		sprintf(name, "ip6tnl%%d");
-
+	}
+	err = -ENOMEM;
 	dev = alloc_netdev(sizeof(*t), name, NET_NAME_UNKNOWN,
 			   ip6_tnl_dev_setup);
 	if (!dev)