diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 1ec3ac5d5bbf..8aae2386bd37 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -4376,6 +4376,16 @@ static inline void netif_addr_unlock_bh(struct net_device *dev)
 	spin_unlock_bh(&dev->addr_list_lock);
 }
 
+static inline void netif_lists_lock(struct net *net)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&net->netif_lists_lock);
+}
+
+static inline void netif_lists_unlock(struct net *net)
+{
+	mutex_unlock(&net->netif_lists_lock);
+}
+
 /*
  * dev_addrs walker. Should be used only for read access. Call with
  * rcu_read_lock held.
diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index 29567875f428..cac64c3c7ce0 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@ struct net {
 	struct sock		*crypto_nlsk;
 #endif
 	struct sock		*diag_nlsk;
+
+	/* Serializes writers to @dev_base_head, @dev_name_head and
+	 * @dev_index_head. It does _not_ protect the netif adjacency lists
+	 * (struct net_device::adj_list).
+	 */
+	struct mutex		netif_lists_lock;
 } __randomize_layout;
 
 #include <linux/seq_file_net.h>
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 8e02240bb11c..53c12f92025c 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -175,13 +175,16 @@ static struct napi_struct *napi_by_id(unsigned int napi_id);
  *
  * Pure readers should hold rcu_read_lock() which should protect them against
  * concurrent changes to the interface lists made by the writers. Pure writers
- * must serialize by holding the RTNL mutex while they loop through the list
- * and make changes to it.
+ * must serialize by holding the @net->netif_lists_lock mutex while they loop
+ * through the list and make changes to it.
+ *
+ * It is possible to hold the RTNL mutex for serializing the writers too, but
+ * this should be avoided in new code due to lock contention.
  *
  * It is also possible to hold the global rwlock_t @dev_base_lock for
  * protection (holding its read side as an alternative to rcu_read_lock, and
- * its write side as an alternative to the RTNL mutex), however this should not
- * be done in new code, since it is deprecated and pending removal.
+ * its write side as an alternative to @net->netif_lists_lock), however this
+ * should not be done in new code, since it is deprecated and pending removal.
  *
  * One other role of @dev_base_lock is to protect against changes in the
  * operational state of a network interface.
@@ -360,12 +363,14 @@ static void list_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
 
+	netif_lists_lock(net);
 	write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 	list_add_tail_rcu(&dev->dev_list, &net->dev_base_head);
 	netdev_name_node_add(net, dev->name_node);
 	hlist_add_head_rcu(&dev->index_hlist,
 			   dev_index_hash(net, dev->ifindex));
 	write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+	netif_lists_unlock(net);
 
 	dev_base_seq_inc(net);
 }
@@ -375,16 +380,20 @@ static void list_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
  */
 static void unlist_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 {
+	struct net *net = dev_net(dev);
+
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
 
 	/* Unlink dev from the device chain */
+	netif_lists_lock(net);
 	write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 	list_del_rcu(&dev->dev_list);
 	netdev_name_node_del(dev->name_node);
 	hlist_del_rcu(&dev->index_hlist);
 	write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+	netif_lists_unlock(net);
 
-	dev_base_seq_inc(dev_net(dev));
+	dev_base_seq_inc(net);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -850,11 +859,11 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dev_fill_metadata_dst);
  *	@net: the applicable net namespace
  *	@name: name to find
  *
- *	Find an interface by name. Must be called under RTNL semaphore
- *	or @dev_base_lock. If the name is found a pointer to the device
- *	is returned. If the name is not found then %NULL is returned. The
- *	reference counters are not incremented so the caller must be
- *	careful with locks.
+ *	Find an interface by name. Must be called under RTNL semaphore,
+ *	@net->netif_lists_lock or @dev_base_lock. If the name is found,
+ *	a pointer to the device is returned. If the name is not found then
+ *	%NULL is returned. The reference counters are not incremented so the
+ *	caller must be careful with locks.
  */
 
 struct net_device *__dev_get_by_name(struct net *net, const char *name)
@@ -920,8 +929,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(dev_get_by_name);
  *	Search for an interface by index. Returns %NULL if the device
  *	is not found or a pointer to the device. The device has not
  *	had its reference counter increased so the caller must be careful
- *	about locking. The caller must hold either the RTNL semaphore
- *	or @dev_base_lock.
+ *	about locking. The caller must hold either the RTNL semaphore,
+ *	@net->netif_lists_lock or @dev_base_lock.
  */
 
 struct net_device *__dev_get_by_index(struct net *net, int ifindex)
@@ -1330,15 +1339,19 @@ int dev_change_name(struct net_device *dev, const char *newname)
 
 	netdev_adjacent_rename_links(dev, oldname);
 
+	netif_lists_lock(net);
 	write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 	netdev_name_node_del(dev->name_node);
 	write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+	netif_lists_unlock(net);
 
 	synchronize_rcu();
 
+	netif_lists_lock(net);
 	write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 	netdev_name_node_add(net, dev->name_node);
 	write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+	netif_lists_unlock(net);
 
 	ret = call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_CHANGENAME, dev);
 	ret = notifier_to_errno(ret);
@@ -9415,8 +9428,9 @@ int dev_change_xdp_fd(struct net_device *dev, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack,
  *	@net: the applicable net namespace
  *
  *	Returns a suitable unique value for a new device interface
- *	number.  The caller must hold the rtnl semaphore or the
- *	dev_base_lock to be sure it remains unique.
+ *	number.
+ *	The caller must hold the rtnl semaphore, @net->netif_lists_lock or the
+ *	@dev_base_lock to be sure it remains unique.
  */
 static int dev_new_index(struct net *net)
 {
@@ -10999,6 +11013,8 @@ static int __net_init netdev_init(struct net *net)
 	if (net->dev_index_head == NULL)
 		goto err_idx;
 
+	mutex_init(&net->netif_lists_lock);
+
 	RAW_INIT_NOTIFIER_HEAD(&net->netdev_chain);
 
 	return 0;
