diff --git a/net/ipv4/ipconfig.c b/net/ipv4/ipconfig.c
index 816d8aad5a68..9d41d5d5cd1e 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/ipconfig.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/ipconfig.c
@@ -262,6 +262,11 @@ static int __init ic_open_devs(void)
 				 dev->name, able, d->xid);
 		}
 	}
+	/* Devices with a complex topology like SFP ethernet interfaces needs
+	 * the rtnl_lock at init. The carrier wait-loop must therefore run
+	 * without holding it.
+	 */
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	/* no point in waiting if we could not bring up at least one device */
 	if (!ic_first_dev)
@@ -274,9 +279,13 @@ static int __init ic_open_devs(void)
 			   msecs_to_jiffies(carrier_timeout * 1000))) {
 		int wait, elapsed;
 
+		rtnl_lock();
 		for_each_netdev(&init_net, dev)
-			if (ic_is_init_dev(dev) && netif_carrier_ok(dev))
+			if (ic_is_init_dev(dev) && netif_carrier_ok(dev)) {
+				rtnl_unlock();
 				goto have_carrier;
+			}
+		rtnl_unlock();
 
 		msleep(1);
 
@@ -289,7 +298,6 @@ static int __init ic_open_devs(void)
 		next_msg = jiffies + msecs_to_jiffies(20000);
 	}
 have_carrier:
-	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	*last = NULL;