diff --git a/include/net/protocol.h b/include/net/protocol.h
index 2b778e1d2d8f..f51c06ae365f 100644
--- a/include/net/protocol.h
+++ b/include/net/protocol.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ struct net_protocol {
 	int			(*err_handler)(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 info);
 
 	unsigned int		no_policy:1,
-				netns_ok:1,
 				/* does the protocol do more stringent
 				 * icmp tag validation than simple
 				 * socket lookup?
diff --git a/net/dccp/ipv4.c b/net/dccp/ipv4.c
index ffc601a3b329..f81c1df761d3 100644
--- a/net/dccp/ipv4.c
+++ b/net/dccp/ipv4.c
@@ -977,7 +977,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol dccp_v4_protocol = {
 	.handler	= dccp_v4_rcv,
 	.err_handler	= dccp_v4_err,
 	.no_policy	= 1,
-	.netns_ok	= 1,
 	.icmp_strict_tag_validation = 1,
 };
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
index f17870ee558b..d9bccad65e2b 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
@@ -1720,7 +1720,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(snmp_fold_field64);
 #ifdef CONFIG_IP_MULTICAST
 static const struct net_protocol igmp_protocol = {
 	.handler =	igmp_rcv,
-	.netns_ok =	1,
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -1733,7 +1732,6 @@ static struct net_protocol tcp_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	tcp_v4_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	tcp_v4_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 	.icmp_strict_tag_validation = 1,
 };
 
@@ -1746,14 +1744,12 @@ static struct net_protocol udp_protocol = {
 	.handler =	udp_rcv,
 	.err_handler =	udp_err,
 	.no_policy =	1,
-	.netns_ok =	1,
 };
 
 static const struct net_protocol icmp_protocol = {
 	.handler =	icmp_rcv,
 	.err_handler =	icmp_err,
 	.no_policy =	1,
-	.netns_ok =	1,
 };
 
 static __net_init int ipv4_mib_init_net(struct net *net)
diff --git a/net/ipv4/gre_demux.c b/net/ipv4/gre_demux.c
index 5d1e6fe9d838..cbb2b4bb0dfa 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/gre_demux.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/gre_demux.c
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ static int gre_err(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 info)
 static const struct net_protocol net_gre_protocol = {
 	.handler     = gre_rcv,
 	.err_handler = gre_err,
-	.netns_ok    = 1,
 };
 
 static int __init gre_init(void)
diff --git a/net/ipv4/ipmr.c b/net/ipv4/ipmr.c
index 939792a38814..12b564b1ecb4 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/ipmr.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/ipmr.c
@@ -3007,7 +3007,6 @@ static const struct seq_operations ipmr_mfc_seq_ops = {
 #ifdef CONFIG_IP_PIMSM_V2
 static const struct net_protocol pim_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	pim_rcv,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 #endif
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/protocol.c b/net/ipv4/protocol.c
index 9a8c0892622b..6913979948d7 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/protocol.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/protocol.c
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(inet_offloads);
 
 int inet_add_protocol(const struct net_protocol *prot, unsigned char protocol)
 {
-	if (!prot->netns_ok) {
-		pr_err("Protocol %u is not namespace aware, cannot register.\n",
-			protocol);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	return !cmpxchg((const struct net_protocol **)&inet_protos[protocol],
 			NULL, prot) ? 0 : -1;
 }
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tunnel4.c b/net/ipv4/tunnel4.c
index e44aaf41a138..5048c47c79b2 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tunnel4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tunnel4.c
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol tunnel4_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	tunnel4_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	tunnel4_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IPV6)
@@ -226,7 +225,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol tunnel64_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	tunnel64_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	tunnel64_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -235,7 +233,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol tunnelmpls4_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	tunnelmpls4_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	tunnelmpls4_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 #endif
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/udplite.c b/net/ipv4/udplite.c
index bd8773b49e72..cd1cd68adeec 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/udplite.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/udplite.c
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol udplite_protocol = {
 	.handler	= udplite_rcv,
 	.err_handler	= udplite_err,
 	.no_policy	= 1,
-	.netns_ok	= 1,
 };
 
 struct proto 	udplite_prot = {
diff --git a/net/ipv4/xfrm4_protocol.c b/net/ipv4/xfrm4_protocol.c
index ea595c8549c7..2fe5860c21d6 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/xfrm4_protocol.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/xfrm4_protocol.c
@@ -181,21 +181,18 @@ static const struct net_protocol esp4_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	xfrm4_esp_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	xfrm4_esp_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 
 static const struct net_protocol ah4_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	xfrm4_ah_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	xfrm4_ah_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 
 static const struct net_protocol ipcomp4_protocol = {
 	.handler	=	xfrm4_ipcomp_rcv,
 	.err_handler	=	xfrm4_ipcomp_err,
 	.no_policy	=	1,
-	.netns_ok	=	1,
 };
 
 static const struct xfrm_input_afinfo xfrm4_input_afinfo = {
diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ip.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ip.c
index 97ae1255fcb6..536c30d4dd7d 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_ip.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_ip.c
@@ -635,7 +635,6 @@ static struct inet_protosw l2tp_ip_protosw = {
 
 static struct net_protocol l2tp_ip_protocol __read_mostly = {
 	.handler	= l2tp_ip_recv,
-	.netns_ok	= 1,
 };
 
 static int __init l2tp_ip_init(void)
diff --git a/net/sctp/protocol.c b/net/sctp/protocol.c
index 6f2bbfeec3a4..baa4e770e4ba 100644
--- a/net/sctp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/sctp/protocol.c
@@ -1171,7 +1171,6 @@ static const struct net_protocol sctp_protocol = {
 	.handler     = sctp4_rcv,
 	.err_handler = sctp_v4_err,
 	.no_policy   = 1,
-	.netns_ok    = 1,
 	.icmp_strict_tag_validation = 1,
 };