diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c
index a6defc793601..5886ba1d52a0 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c
@@ -117,9 +117,13 @@ void nf_ct_l3proto_module_put(unsigned short l3proto)
 {
 	struct nf_conntrack_l3proto *p;
 
-	/* rcu_read_lock not necessary since the caller holds a reference */
+	/* rcu_read_lock not necessary since the caller holds a reference, but
+	 * taken anyways to avoid lockdep warnings in __nf_ct_l3proto_find()
+	 */
+	rcu_read_lock();
 	p = __nf_ct_l3proto_find(l3proto);
 	module_put(p->me);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_ct_l3proto_module_put);