nf_ct_protonum(ct));
                if (helper == NULL) {
                        rcu_read_unlock();
+                       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
                        if (request_module("nfct-helper-%s", helpname) < 0) {
+                               spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
                                err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
                                goto err1;
                        }
 
+                       spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
                        rcu_read_lock();
                        helper = __nf_conntrack_helper_find(helpname,
                                                            nf_ct_l3num(ct),
                tstamp->start = ktime_to_ns(ktime_get_real());
 
        add_timer(&ct->timeout);
-       spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
        nf_conntrack_hash_insert(ct);
-       nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general);
-       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
        rcu_read_unlock();
 
        return ct;
        struct nf_conntrack_tuple otuple, rtuple;
        struct nf_conntrack_tuple_hash *h = NULL;
        struct nfgenmsg *nfmsg = nlmsg_data(nlh);
-       struct nf_conn *ct;
        u_int8_t u3 = nfmsg->nfgen_family;
        u16 zone;
        int err;
 
        spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
        if (cda[CTA_TUPLE_ORIG])
-               h = nf_conntrack_find_get(net, zone, &otuple);
+               h = __nf_conntrack_find(net, zone, &otuple);
        else if (cda[CTA_TUPLE_REPLY])
-               h = nf_conntrack_find_get(net, zone, &rtuple);
-       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+               h = __nf_conntrack_find(net, zone, &rtuple);
 
        if (h == NULL) {
                err = -ENOENT;
                if (nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_CREATE) {
+                       struct nf_conn *ct;
                        enum ip_conntrack_events events;
 
                        ct = ctnetlink_create_conntrack(net, zone, cda, &otuple,
                                                        &rtuple, u3);
-                       if (IS_ERR(ct))
-                               return PTR_ERR(ct);
-
+                       if (IS_ERR(ct)) {
+                               err = PTR_ERR(ct);
+                               goto out_unlock;
+                       }
                        err = 0;
+                       nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general);
+                       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
                        if (test_bit(IPS_EXPECTED_BIT, &ct->status))
                                events = IPCT_RELATED;
                        else
                                                      ct, NETLINK_CB(skb).pid,
                                                      nlmsg_report(nlh));
                        nf_ct_put(ct);
-               }
+               } else
+                       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
 
                return err;
        }
        /* implicit 'else' */
 
+       /* We manipulate the conntrack inside the global conntrack table lock,
+        * so there's no need to increase the refcount */
        err = -EEXIST;
-       ct = nf_ct_tuplehash_to_ctrack(h);
        if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_EXCL)) {
-               spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+               struct nf_conn *ct = nf_ct_tuplehash_to_ctrack(h);
+
                err = ctnetlink_change_conntrack(ct, cda);
-               spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
                if (err == 0) {
+                       nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general);
+                       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
                        nf_conntrack_eventmask_report((1 << IPCT_REPLY) |
                                                      (1 << IPCT_ASSURED) |
                                                      (1 << IPCT_HELPER) |
                                                      (1 << IPCT_MARK),
                                                      ct, NETLINK_CB(skb).pid,
                                                      nlmsg_report(nlh));
-               }
+                       nf_ct_put(ct);
+               } else
+                       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+
+               return err;
        }
 
-       nf_ct_put(ct);
+out_unlock:
+       spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
        return err;
 }