diff --git a/drivers/net/ipvlan/ipvlan_main.c b/drivers/net/ipvlan/ipvlan_main.c
index 3cf67db513e2..6842739b6679 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ipvlan/ipvlan_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ipvlan/ipvlan_main.c
@@ -808,10 +808,6 @@ static int ipvlan_addr6_event(struct notifier_block *unused,
 	struct net_device *dev = (struct net_device *)if6->idev->dev;
 	struct ipvl_dev *ipvlan = netdev_priv(dev);
 
-	/* FIXME IPv6 autoconf calls us from bh without RTNL */
-	if (in_softirq())
-		return NOTIFY_DONE;
-
 	if (!netif_is_ipvlan(dev))
 		return NOTIFY_DONE;
 
diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
index a8d202b1b919..dd9c0c435f71 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
@@ -993,7 +993,6 @@ ipv6_add_addr(struct inet6_dev *idev, const struct in6_addr *addr,
 	struct net *net = dev_net(idev->dev);
 	struct inet6_ifaddr *ifa = NULL;
 	struct rt6_info *rt = NULL;
-	struct in6_validator_info i6vi;
 	int err = 0;
 	int addr_type = ipv6_addr_type(addr);
 
@@ -1013,12 +1012,20 @@ ipv6_add_addr(struct inet6_dev *idev, const struct in6_addr *addr,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	i6vi.i6vi_addr = *addr;
-	i6vi.i6vi_dev = idev;
-	err = inet6addr_validator_notifier_call_chain(NETDEV_UP, &i6vi);
-	err = notifier_to_errno(err);
-	if (err < 0)
-		goto out;
+	/* validator notifier needs to be blocking;
+	 * do not call in atomic context
+	 */
+	if (can_block) {
+		struct in6_validator_info i6vi = {
+			.i6vi_addr = *addr,
+			.i6vi_dev = idev,
+		};
+
+		err = inet6addr_validator_notifier_call_chain(NETDEV_UP, &i6vi);
+		err = notifier_to_errno(err);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto out;
+	}
 
 	ifa = kzalloc(sizeof(*ifa), gfp_flags);
 	if (!ifa) {
diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf_core.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf_core.c
index 9e3488d50b15..32b564dfd02a 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/addrconf_core.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf_core.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int __ipv6_addr_type(const struct in6_addr *addr)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__ipv6_addr_type);
 
 static ATOMIC_NOTIFIER_HEAD(inet6addr_chain);
-static ATOMIC_NOTIFIER_HEAD(inet6addr_validator_chain);
+static BLOCKING_NOTIFIER_HEAD(inet6addr_validator_chain);
 
 int register_inet6addr_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
@@ -110,19 +110,20 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(inet6addr_notifier_call_chain);
 
 int register_inet6addr_validator_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
-	return atomic_notifier_chain_register(&inet6addr_validator_chain, nb);
+	return blocking_notifier_chain_register(&inet6addr_validator_chain, nb);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(register_inet6addr_validator_notifier);
 
 int unregister_inet6addr_validator_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
-	return atomic_notifier_chain_unregister(&inet6addr_validator_chain, nb);
+	return blocking_notifier_chain_unregister(&inet6addr_validator_chain,
+						  nb);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(unregister_inet6addr_validator_notifier);
 
 int inet6addr_validator_notifier_call_chain(unsigned long val, void *v)
 {
-	return atomic_notifier_call_chain(&inet6addr_validator_chain, val, v);
+	return blocking_notifier_call_chain(&inet6addr_validator_chain, val, v);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(inet6addr_validator_notifier_call_chain);