diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 794db633f1c905319ac4e7f115e4a5c28e4c608e..0d3f724da78ba23c9667bf56d387e002f7995e57 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -2702,10 +2702,7 @@ static int rtnl_setlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh,
 	ifm = nlmsg_data(nlh);
 	if (ifm->ifi_index > 0)
 		dev = __dev_get_by_index(net, ifm->ifi_index);
-	else if (ifm->ifi_index < 0) {
-		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "ifindex can't be negative");
-		return -EINVAL;
-	} else if (tb[IFLA_IFNAME])
+	else if (tb[IFLA_IFNAME])
 		dev = __dev_get_by_name(net, ifname);
 	else
 		goto errout;
@@ -2973,9 +2970,12 @@ static int rtnl_newlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh,
 		ifname[0] = '\0';
 
 	ifm = nlmsg_data(nlh);
-	if (ifm->ifi_index > 0)
+	if (ifm->ifi_index > 0) {
 		dev = __dev_get_by_index(net, ifm->ifi_index);
-	else {
+	} else if (ifm->ifi_index < 0) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "ifindex can't be negative");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	} else {
 		if (ifname[0])
 			dev = __dev_get_by_name(net, ifname);
 		else