diff --git a/include/net/tcp.h b/include/net/tcp.h
index dcf9a72eeaa6..1beed50522b1 100644
--- a/include/net/tcp.h
+++ b/include/net/tcp.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ void tcp_time_wait(struct sock *sk, int state, int timeo);
 				  * to combine FIN-WAIT-2 timeout with
 				  * TIME-WAIT timer.
 				  */
+#define TCP_FIN_TIMEOUT_MAX (120 * HZ) /* max TCP_LINGER2 value (two minutes) */
 
 #define TCP_DELACK_MAX	((unsigned)(HZ/5))	/* maximal time to delay before sending an ACK */
 #if HZ >= 100
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
index 6d87de434377..8c1250103959 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
@@ -3035,8 +3035,8 @@ static int do_tcp_setsockopt(struct sock *sk, int level,
 	case TCP_LINGER2:
 		if (val < 0)
 			tp->linger2 = -1;
-		else if (val > net->ipv4.sysctl_tcp_fin_timeout / HZ)
-			tp->linger2 = 0;
+		else if (val > TCP_FIN_TIMEOUT_MAX / HZ)
+			tp->linger2 = TCP_FIN_TIMEOUT_MAX;
 		else
 			tp->linger2 = val * HZ;
 		break;