diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index a9500e6b3aa2..d334446a8eaf 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -3776,6 +3776,7 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 		}
 	}
 
+	netdev_initialize_kobject(dev);
 	ret = netdev_register_kobject(dev);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_uninit;
@@ -4208,7 +4209,8 @@ int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net, const char
 	}
 
 	/* Fixup kobjects */
-	err = device_rename(&dev->dev, dev->name);
+	netdev_unregister_kobject(dev);
+	err = netdev_register_kobject(dev);
 	WARN_ON(err);
 
 	/* Add the device back in the hashes */
diff --git a/net/core/net-sysfs.c b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
index 4e7b847347f7..90e2177af081 100644
--- a/net/core/net-sysfs.c
+++ b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
@@ -449,7 +449,6 @@ int netdev_register_kobject(struct net_device *net)
 	struct device *dev = &(net->dev);
 	struct attribute_group **groups = net->sysfs_groups;
 
-	device_initialize(dev);
 	dev->class = &net_class;
 	dev->platform_data = net;
 	dev->groups = groups;
@@ -470,6 +469,12 @@ int netdev_register_kobject(struct net_device *net)
 	return device_add(dev);
 }
 
+void netdev_initialize_kobject(struct net_device *net)
+{
+	struct device *device = &(net->dev);
+	device_initialize(device);
+}
+
 int netdev_kobject_init(void)
 {
 	return class_register(&net_class);
diff --git a/net/core/net-sysfs.h b/net/core/net-sysfs.h
index f5f108db3924..14e7524260b3 100644
--- a/net/core/net-sysfs.h
+++ b/net/core/net-sysfs.h
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
 int netdev_kobject_init(void);
 int netdev_register_kobject(struct net_device *);
 void netdev_unregister_kobject(struct net_device *);
-
+void netdev_initialize_kobject(struct net_device *);
 #endif