diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h b/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
index 4bf52d5f637e..230197d7abc7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
@@ -267,9 +267,22 @@ struct bonding {
 #endif /* CONFIG_DEBUG_FS */
 };
 
+/* if we hold rtnl_lock() - call vlan_uses_dev() */
 static inline bool bond_vlan_used(struct bonding *bond)
 {
-	return !list_empty(&bond->vlan_list);
+	struct net_device *upper;
+	struct list_head *iter;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	netdev_for_each_upper_dev_rcu(bond->dev, upper, iter) {
+		if (upper->priv_flags & IFF_802_1Q_VLAN) {
+			rcu_read_unlock();
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return false;
 }
 
 #define bond_slave_get_rcu(dev) \