diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
index f96d1de79509..b51630ddb728 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
@@ -5661,18 +5661,6 @@ static const struct nla_policy inet6_af_policy[IFLA_INET6_MAX + 1] = {
 	[IFLA_INET6_TOKEN]		= { .len = sizeof(struct in6_addr) },
 };
 
-static int inet6_validate_link_af(const struct net_device *dev,
-				  const struct nlattr *nla)
-{
-	struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_INET6_MAX + 1];
-
-	if (dev && !__in6_dev_get(dev))
-		return -EAFNOSUPPORT;
-
-	return nla_parse_nested_deprecated(tb, IFLA_INET6_MAX, nla,
-					   inet6_af_policy, NULL);
-}
-
 static int check_addr_gen_mode(int mode)
 {
 	if (mode != IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_EUI64 &&
@@ -5693,14 +5681,44 @@ static int check_stable_privacy(struct inet6_dev *idev, struct net *net,
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static int inet6_validate_link_af(const struct net_device *dev,
+				  const struct nlattr *nla)
+{
+	struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_INET6_MAX + 1];
+	struct inet6_dev *idev = NULL;
+	int err;
+
+	if (dev) {
+		idev = __in6_dev_get(dev);
+		if (!idev)
+			return -EAFNOSUPPORT;
+	}
+
+	err = nla_parse_nested_deprecated(tb, IFLA_INET6_MAX, nla,
+					  inet6_af_policy, NULL);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	if (!tb[IFLA_INET6_TOKEN] && !tb[IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE])
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (tb[IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE]) {
+		u8 mode = nla_get_u8(tb[IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE]);
+
+		if (check_addr_gen_mode(mode) < 0)
+			return -EINVAL;
+		if (dev && check_stable_privacy(idev, dev_net(dev), mode) < 0)
+			return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int inet6_set_link_af(struct net_device *dev, const struct nlattr *nla)
 {
-	int err = -EINVAL;
 	struct inet6_dev *idev = __in6_dev_get(dev);
 	struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_INET6_MAX + 1];
-
-	if (!idev)
-		return -EAFNOSUPPORT;
+	int err;
 
 	if (nla_parse_nested_deprecated(tb, IFLA_INET6_MAX, nla, NULL, NULL) < 0)
 		BUG();
@@ -5714,15 +5732,10 @@ static int inet6_set_link_af(struct net_device *dev, const struct nlattr *nla)
 	if (tb[IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE]) {
 		u8 mode = nla_get_u8(tb[IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE]);
 
-		if (check_addr_gen_mode(mode) < 0 ||
-		    check_stable_privacy(idev, dev_net(dev), mode) < 0)
-			return -EINVAL;
-
 		idev->cnf.addr_gen_mode = mode;
-		err = 0;
 	}
 
-	return err;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int inet6_fill_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct inet6_dev *idev,