diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 352e98129601..f67fd16615bb 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5453,7 +5453,6 @@ static inline bool netdev_adjacent_is_neigh_list(struct net_device *dev,
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(struct net_device *dev,
 					struct net_device *adj_dev,
-					u16 ref_nr,
 					struct list_head *dev_list,
 					void *private, bool master)
 {
@@ -5463,7 +5462,7 @@ static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(struct net_device *dev,
 	adj = __netdev_find_adj(adj_dev, dev_list);
 
 	if (adj) {
-		adj->ref_nr += ref_nr;
+		adj->ref_nr += 1;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -5473,7 +5472,7 @@ static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(struct net_device *dev,
 
 	adj->dev = adj_dev;
 	adj->master = master;
-	adj->ref_nr = ref_nr;
+	adj->ref_nr = 1;
 	adj->private = private;
 	dev_hold(adj_dev);
 
@@ -5547,22 +5546,21 @@ static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(struct net_device *dev,
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(struct net_device *dev,
 					    struct net_device *upper_dev,
-					    u16 ref_nr,
 					    struct list_head *up_list,
 					    struct list_head *down_list,
 					    void *private, bool master)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list,
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, up_list,
 					   private, master);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, ref_nr, down_list,
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, down_list,
 					   private, false);
 	if (ret) {
-		__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list);
+		__netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, 1, up_list);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -5570,10 +5568,9 @@ static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(struct net_device *dev,
 }
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
-				      struct net_device *upper_dev,
-				      u16 ref_nr)
+				      struct net_device *upper_dev)
 {
-	return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr,
+	return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
 						&dev->all_adj_list.upper,
 						&upper_dev->all_adj_list.lower,
 						NULL, false);
@@ -5602,12 +5599,12 @@ static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_neighbour(struct net_device *dev,
 						struct net_device *upper_dev,
 						void *private, bool master)
 {
-	int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev, 1);
+	int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, 1,
+	ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
 					       &dev->adj_list.upper,
 					       &upper_dev->adj_list.lower,
 					       private, master);
@@ -5676,7 +5673,7 @@ static int __netdev_upper_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
 		list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 			pr_debug("Interlinking %s with %s, non-neighbour\n",
 				 i->dev->name, j->dev->name);
-			ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
+			ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev);
 			if (ret)
 				goto rollback_mesh;
 		}
@@ -5686,7 +5683,7 @@ static int __netdev_upper_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
 		pr_debug("linking %s's upper device %s with %s\n",
 			 upper_dev->name, i->dev->name, dev->name);
-		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
+		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev);
 		if (ret)
 			goto rollback_upper_mesh;
 	}
@@ -5695,7 +5692,7 @@ static int __netdev_upper_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
 	list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list) {
 		pr_debug("linking %s's lower device %s with %s\n", dev->name,
 			 i->dev->name, upper_dev->name);
-		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
+		ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev);
 		if (ret)
 			goto rollback_lower_mesh;
 	}