diff --git a/net/ax25/af_ax25.c b/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
index 37a333d0ee03431a060f4ef3fd9707f61ed1cad5..3a5812c1a09840a369ea6ae23d4b96447af9e2db 100644
--- a/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
+++ b/net/ax25/af_ax25.c
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ static void ax25_kill_by_device(struct net_device *dev)
 			spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
 			lock_sock(sk);
 			s->ax25_dev = NULL;
-			release_sock(sk);
 			ax25_disconnect(s, ENETUNREACH);
+			release_sock(sk);
 			spin_lock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
 			sock_put(sk);
 			/* The entry could have been deleted from the