diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 120b994af31c..8552874e5aac 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -4713,11 +4713,12 @@ static inline int nf_ingress(struct sk_buff *skb, struct packet_type **pt_prev,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int __netif_receive_skb_core(struct sk_buff *skb, bool pfmemalloc,
+static int __netif_receive_skb_core(struct sk_buff **pskb, bool pfmemalloc,
 				    struct packet_type **ppt_prev)
 {
 	struct packet_type *ptype, *pt_prev;
 	rx_handler_func_t *rx_handler;
+	struct sk_buff *skb = *pskb;
 	struct net_device *orig_dev;
 	bool deliver_exact = false;
 	int ret = NET_RX_DROP;
@@ -4748,8 +4749,10 @@ static int __netif_receive_skb_core(struct sk_buff *skb, bool pfmemalloc,
 		ret2 = do_xdp_generic(rcu_dereference(skb->dev->xdp_prog), skb);
 		preempt_enable();
 
-		if (ret2 != XDP_PASS)
-			return NET_RX_DROP;
+		if (ret2 != XDP_PASS) {
+			ret = NET_RX_DROP;
+			goto out;
+		}
 		skb_reset_mac_len(skb);
 	}
 
@@ -4899,6 +4902,13 @@ static int __netif_receive_skb_core(struct sk_buff *skb, bool pfmemalloc,
 	}
 
 out:
+	/* The invariant here is that if *ppt_prev is not NULL
+	 * then skb should also be non-NULL.
+	 *
+	 * Apparently *ppt_prev assignment above holds this invariant due to
+	 * skb dereferencing near it.
+	 */
+	*pskb = skb;
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -4908,7 +4918,7 @@ static int __netif_receive_skb_one_core(struct sk_buff *skb, bool pfmemalloc)
 	struct packet_type *pt_prev = NULL;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = __netif_receive_skb_core(skb, pfmemalloc, &pt_prev);
+	ret = __netif_receive_skb_core(&skb, pfmemalloc, &pt_prev);
 	if (pt_prev)
 		ret = INDIRECT_CALL_INET(pt_prev->func, ipv6_rcv, ip_rcv, skb,
 					 skb->dev, pt_prev, orig_dev);
@@ -4986,7 +4996,7 @@ static void __netif_receive_skb_list_core(struct list_head *head, bool pfmemallo
 		struct packet_type *pt_prev = NULL;
 
 		skb_list_del_init(skb);
-		__netif_receive_skb_core(skb, pfmemalloc, &pt_prev);
+		__netif_receive_skb_core(&skb, pfmemalloc, &pt_prev);
 		if (!pt_prev)
 			continue;
 		if (pt_curr != pt_prev || od_curr != orig_dev) {