diff --git a/drivers/net/netconsole.c b/drivers/net/netconsole.c
index 63ffbdf..dfffe8d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netconsole.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netconsole.c
@@ -626,6 +626,7 @@
 		goto done;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&target_list_lock, flags);
+restart:
 	list_for_each_entry(nt, &target_list, list) {
 		netconsole_target_get(nt);
 		if (nt->np.dev == dev) {
@@ -637,21 +638,18 @@
 			case NETDEV_JOIN:
 			case NETDEV_UNREGISTER:
 				/*
+				 * we might sleep in __netpoll_cleanup()
 				 * rtnl_lock already held
 				 */
-				if (nt->np.dev) {
-					spin_unlock_irqrestore(
-							      &target_list_lock,
-							      flags);
-					__netpoll_cleanup(&nt->np);
-					spin_lock_irqsave(&target_list_lock,
-							  flags);
-					dev_put(nt->np.dev);
-					nt->np.dev = NULL;
-				}
+				spin_unlock_irqrestore(&target_list_lock, flags);
+				__netpoll_cleanup(&nt->np);
+				spin_lock_irqsave(&target_list_lock, flags);
+				dev_put(nt->np.dev);
+				nt->np.dev = NULL;
 				nt->enabled = 0;
 				stopped = true;
-				break;
+				netconsole_target_put(nt);
+				goto restart;
 			}
 		}
 		netconsole_target_put(nt);