diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index e8b5c2d7db62..483e927a9ca4 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@ static void
 destroy_conntrack(struct nf_conntrack *nfct)
 {
 	struct nf_conn *ct = (struct nf_conn *)nfct;
-	struct nf_conn_help *help = nfct_help(ct);
 	struct nf_conntrack_l4proto *l4proto;
 	typeof(nf_conntrack_destroyed) destroyed;
 
@@ -309,9 +308,6 @@ destroy_conntrack(struct nf_conntrack *nfct)
 	nf_conntrack_event(IPCT_DESTROY, ct);
 	set_bit(IPS_DYING_BIT, &ct->status);
 
-	if (help && help->helper && help->helper->destroy)
-		help->helper->destroy(ct);
-
 	/* To make sure we don't get any weird locking issues here:
 	 * destroy_conntrack() MUST NOT be called with a write lock
 	 * to nf_conntrack_lock!!! -HW */
@@ -353,6 +349,10 @@ destroy_conntrack(struct nf_conntrack *nfct)
 static void death_by_timeout(unsigned long ul_conntrack)
 {
 	struct nf_conn *ct = (void *)ul_conntrack;
+	struct nf_conn_help *help = nfct_help(ct);
+
+	if (help && help->helper && help->helper->destroy)
+		help->helper->destroy(ct);
 
 	write_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
 	/* Inside lock so preempt is disabled on module removal path.