diff --git a/include/net/dst.h b/include/net/dst.h
index e01855de21e8..23b564d3e110 100644
--- a/include/net/dst.h
+++ b/include/net/dst.h
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ static inline struct dst_entry *skb_dst_pop(struct sk_buff *skb)
 }
 
 extern int dst_discard(struct sk_buff *skb);
-extern void * dst_alloc(struct dst_ops * ops);
+extern void *dst_alloc(struct dst_ops * ops, int initial_ref);
 extern void __dst_free(struct dst_entry * dst);
 extern struct dst_entry *dst_destroy(struct dst_entry * dst);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dst.c b/net/core/dst.c
index c1674fde827d..91104d35de7d 100644
--- a/net/core/dst.c
+++ b/net/core/dst.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(dst_discard);
 
 const u32 dst_default_metrics[RTAX_MAX];
 
-void *dst_alloc(struct dst_ops *ops)
+void *dst_alloc(struct dst_ops *ops, int initial_ref)
 {
 	struct dst_entry *dst;
 
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ void *dst_alloc(struct dst_ops *ops)
 	dst = kmem_cache_zalloc(ops->kmem_cachep, GFP_ATOMIC);
 	if (!dst)
 		return NULL;
-	atomic_set(&dst->__refcnt, 0);
+	atomic_set(&dst->__refcnt, initial_ref);
 	dst->ops = ops;
 	dst->lastuse = jiffies;
 	dst->path = dst;
diff --git a/net/decnet/dn_route.c b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
index 42c9c62d3417..06c054d5ccba 100644
--- a/net/decnet/dn_route.c
+++ b/net/decnet/dn_route.c
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ static int dn_route_output_slow(struct dst_entry **pprt, const struct flowi *old
 	if (dev_out->flags & IFF_LOOPBACK)
 		flags |= RTCF_LOCAL;
 
-	rt = dst_alloc(&dn_dst_ops);
+	rt = dst_alloc(&dn_dst_ops, 0);
 	if (rt == NULL)
 		goto e_nobufs;
 
@@ -1383,7 +1383,7 @@ static int dn_route_input_slow(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	}
 
 make_route:
-	rt = dst_alloc(&dn_dst_ops);
+	rt = dst_alloc(&dn_dst_ops, 0);
 	if (rt == NULL)
 		goto e_nobufs;
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/route.c b/net/ipv4/route.c
index 79a287181025..9841543c468d 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/route.c
@@ -1818,12 +1818,10 @@ static void rt_set_nexthop(struct rtable *rt, struct fib_result *res, u32 itag)
 
 static struct rtable *rt_dst_alloc(bool nopolicy, bool noxfrm)
 {
-	struct rtable *rt = dst_alloc(&ipv4_dst_ops);
+	struct rtable *rt = dst_alloc(&ipv4_dst_ops, 1);
 	if (rt) {
 		rt->dst.obsolete = -1;
 
-		atomic_set(&rt->dst.__refcnt, 1);
-
 		rt->dst.flags = DST_HOST |
 			(nopolicy ? DST_NOPOLICY : 0) |
 			(noxfrm ? DST_NOXFRM : 0);
@@ -2679,12 +2677,11 @@ static int ipv4_dst_blackhole(struct net *net, struct rtable **rp, struct flowi
 {
 	struct rtable *ort = *rp;
 	struct rtable *rt = (struct rtable *)
-		dst_alloc(&ipv4_dst_blackhole_ops);
+		dst_alloc(&ipv4_dst_blackhole_ops, 1);
 
 	if (rt) {
 		struct dst_entry *new = &rt->dst;
 
-		atomic_set(&new->__refcnt, 1);
 		new->__use = 1;
 		new->input = dst_discard;
 		new->output = dst_discard;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index ad8556e6fd41..7946b53692da 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static struct rt6_info ip6_blk_hole_entry_template = {
 /* allocate dst with ip6_dst_ops */
 static inline struct rt6_info *ip6_dst_alloc(struct dst_ops *ops)
 {
-	return (struct rt6_info *)dst_alloc(ops);
+	return (struct rt6_info *)dst_alloc(ops, 0);
 }
 
 static void ip6_dst_destroy(struct dst_entry *dst)
@@ -873,13 +873,12 @@ int ip6_dst_blackhole(struct sock *sk, struct dst_entry **dstp, struct flowi *fl
 {
 	struct rt6_info *ort = (struct rt6_info *) *dstp;
 	struct rt6_info *rt = (struct rt6_info *)
-		dst_alloc(&ip6_dst_blackhole_ops);
+		dst_alloc(&ip6_dst_blackhole_ops, 1);
 	struct dst_entry *new = NULL;
 
 	if (rt) {
 		new = &rt->dst;
 
-		atomic_set(&new->__refcnt, 1);
 		new->__use = 1;
 		new->input = dst_discard;
 		new->output = dst_discard;
diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
index 8b3ef404c794..3f1257add4f3 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
@@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ static inline struct xfrm_dst *xfrm_alloc_dst(struct net *net, int family)
 	default:
 		BUG();
 	}
-	xdst = dst_alloc(dst_ops) ?: ERR_PTR(-ENOBUFS);
+	xdst = dst_alloc(dst_ops, 0) ?: ERR_PTR(-ENOBUFS);
 	xfrm_policy_put_afinfo(afinfo);
 
 	xdst->flo.ops = &xfrm_bundle_fc_ops;