diff --git a/include/linux/if_vlan.h b/include/linux/if_vlan.h
index 07db4169463e..129fa876dbe4 100644
--- a/include/linux/if_vlan.h
+++ b/include/linux/if_vlan.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ extern void vlan_ioctl_set(int (*hook)(struct net *, void __user *));
 
 struct vlan_group {
 	int real_dev_ifindex; /* The ifindex of the ethernet(like) device the vlan is attached to. */
+	unsigned int		nr_vlans;
 	struct hlist_node	hlist;	/* linked list */
 	struct net_device **vlan_devices_arrays[VLAN_GROUP_ARRAY_SPLIT_PARTS];
 	struct rcu_head		rcu;
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan.c b/net/8021q/vlan.c
index ad34e4a0326a..ac7963854103 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan.c
@@ -132,33 +132,17 @@ static void vlan_rcu_free(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 	vlan_group_free(container_of(rcu, struct vlan_group, rcu));
 }
 
-
-/* This returns 0 if everything went fine.
- * It will return 1 if the group was killed as a result.
- * A negative return indicates failure.
- *
- * The RTNL lock must be held.
- */
-static int unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *real_dev,
-			       unsigned short vlan_id)
+void unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	struct net_device *dev;
-	int real_dev_ifindex = real_dev->ifindex;
+	struct vlan_dev_info *vlan = VLAN_DEV_INFO(dev);
+	struct net_device *real_dev = vlan->real_dev;
 	struct vlan_group *grp;
-	unsigned int i;
-	int ret;
-
-	if (vlan_id >= VLAN_VID_MASK)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	unsigned short vlan_id = vlan->vlan_id;
 
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
-	grp = __vlan_find_group(real_dev_ifindex);
-	if (!grp)
-		return -ENOENT;
 
-	dev = vlan_group_get_device(grp, vlan_id);
-	if (!dev)
-		return -ENOENT;
+	grp = __vlan_find_group(real_dev->ifindex);
+	BUG_ON(!grp);
 
 	vlan_proc_rem_dev(dev);
 
@@ -169,20 +153,12 @@ static int unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *real_dev,
 		real_dev->vlan_rx_kill_vid(real_dev, vlan_id);
 
 	vlan_group_set_device(grp, vlan_id, NULL);
+	grp->nr_vlans--;
+
 	synchronize_net();
 
-	/* Caller unregisters (and if necessary, puts) VLAN device, but we
-	 * get rid of the reference to real_dev here.
-	 */
-	dev_put(real_dev);
-
 	/* If the group is now empty, kill off the group. */
-	ret = 0;
-	for (i = 0; i < VLAN_VID_MASK; i++)
-		if (vlan_group_get_device(grp, i))
-			break;
-
-	if (i == VLAN_VID_MASK) {
+	if (grp->nr_vlans == 0) {
 		if (real_dev->features & NETIF_F_HW_VLAN_RX)
 			real_dev->vlan_rx_register(real_dev, NULL);
 
@@ -190,23 +166,12 @@ static int unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *real_dev,
 
 		/* Free the group, after all cpu's are done. */
 		call_rcu(&grp->rcu, vlan_rcu_free);
-		ret = 1;
 	}
 
-	return ret;
-}
+	/* Get rid of the vlan's reference to real_dev */
+	dev_put(real_dev);
 
-int unregister_vlan_device(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = unregister_vlan_dev(VLAN_DEV_INFO(dev)->real_dev,
-				  VLAN_DEV_INFO(dev)->vlan_id);
 	unregister_netdevice(dev);
-
-	if (ret == 1)
-		ret = 0;
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void vlan_transfer_operstate(const struct net_device *dev, struct net_device *vlandev)
@@ -291,6 +256,8 @@ int register_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev)
 	 * it into our local structure.
 	 */
 	vlan_group_set_device(grp, vlan_id, dev);
+	grp->nr_vlans++;
+
 	if (ngrp && real_dev->features & NETIF_F_HW_VLAN_RX)
 		real_dev->vlan_rx_register(real_dev, ngrp);
 	if (real_dev->features & NETIF_F_HW_VLAN_FILTER)
@@ -479,20 +446,16 @@ static int vlan_device_event(struct notifier_block *unused, unsigned long event,
 	case NETDEV_UNREGISTER:
 		/* Delete all VLANs for this dev. */
 		for (i = 0; i < VLAN_GROUP_ARRAY_LEN; i++) {
-			int ret;
-
 			vlandev = vlan_group_get_device(grp, i);
 			if (!vlandev)
 				continue;
 
-			ret = unregister_vlan_dev(dev,
-						  VLAN_DEV_INFO(vlandev)->vlan_id);
+			/* unregistration of last vlan destroys group, abort
+			 * afterwards */
+			if (grp->nr_vlans == 1)
+				i = VLAN_GROUP_ARRAY_LEN;
 
-			unregister_netdevice(vlandev);
-
-			/* Group was destroyed? */
-			if (ret == 1)
-				break;
+			unregister_vlan_dev(vlandev);
 		}
 		break;
 	}
@@ -598,7 +561,8 @@ static int vlan_ioctl_handler(struct net *net, void __user *arg)
 		err = -EPERM;
 		if (!capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN))
 			break;
-		err = unregister_vlan_device(dev);
+		unregister_vlan_dev(dev);
+		err = 0;
 		break;
 
 	case GET_VLAN_REALDEV_NAME_CMD:
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan.h b/net/8021q/vlan.h
index 56378651cc46..0cfdf77b497c 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan.h
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void vlan_dev_get_vid(const struct net_device *dev, unsigned short *result);
 int vlan_check_real_dev(struct net_device *real_dev, unsigned short vlan_id);
 void vlan_setup(struct net_device *dev);
 int register_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev);
-int unregister_vlan_device(struct net_device *dev);
+void unregister_vlan_dev(struct net_device *dev);
 
 int vlan_netlink_init(void);
 void vlan_netlink_fini(void);
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
index 0996185e2ed5..9ee63583ed27 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
@@ -137,11 +137,6 @@ static int vlan_newlink(struct net_device *dev,
 	return register_vlan_dev(dev);
 }
 
-static void vlan_dellink(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	unregister_vlan_device(dev);
-}
-
 static inline size_t vlan_qos_map_size(unsigned int n)
 {
 	if (n == 0)
@@ -226,7 +221,7 @@ struct rtnl_link_ops vlan_link_ops __read_mostly = {
 	.validate	= vlan_validate,
 	.newlink	= vlan_newlink,
 	.changelink	= vlan_changelink,
-	.dellink	= vlan_dellink,
+	.dellink	= unregister_vlan_dev,
 	.get_size	= vlan_get_size,
 	.fill_info	= vlan_fill_info,
 };