diff --git a/include/net/sock.h b/include/net/sock.h
index 38cae35f6e16..751549ac0a84 100644
--- a/include/net/sock.h
+++ b/include/net/sock.h
@@ -1492,6 +1492,7 @@ static inline void lock_sock(struct sock *sk)
 	lock_sock_nested(sk, 0);
 }
 
+void __release_sock(struct sock *sk);
 void release_sock(struct sock *sk);
 
 /* BH context may only use the following locking interface. */
diff --git a/net/core/sock.c b/net/core/sock.c
index 8537b6ca72c5..7e8796a6a089 100644
--- a/net/core/sock.c
+++ b/net/core/sock.c
@@ -2317,7 +2317,7 @@ static void __lock_sock(struct sock *sk)
 	finish_wait(&sk->sk_lock.wq, &wait);
 }
 
-static void __release_sock(struct sock *sk)
+void __release_sock(struct sock *sk)
 	__releases(&sk->sk_lock.slock)
 	__acquires(&sk->sk_lock.slock)
 {
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
index 2827fa5643bd..43ef83b2330e 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
@@ -2416,16 +2416,10 @@ void tcp_close(struct sock *sk, long timeout)
 	sock_hold(sk);
 	sock_orphan(sk);
 
-	/* It is the last release_sock in its life. It will remove backlog. */
-	release_sock(sk);
-
-
-	/* Now socket is owned by kernel and we acquire BH lock
-	 *  to finish close. No need to check for user refs.
-	 */
 	local_bh_disable();
 	bh_lock_sock(sk);
-	WARN_ON(sock_owned_by_user(sk));
+	/* remove backlog if any, without releasing ownership. */
+	__release_sock(sk);
 
 	percpu_counter_inc(sk->sk_prot->orphan_count);
 
@@ -2494,6 +2488,7 @@ void tcp_close(struct sock *sk, long timeout)
 out:
 	bh_unlock_sock(sk);
 	local_bh_enable();
+	release_sock(sk);
 	sock_put(sk);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcp_close);