diff --git a/include/net/netlink.h b/include/net/netlink.h
index a5506c42f03c..112dcdf7e34e 100644
--- a/include/net/netlink.h
+++ b/include/net/netlink.h
@@ -772,12 +772,13 @@ static inline int __nla_parse_nested_compat(struct nlattr *tb[], int maxtype,
 					    const struct nla_policy *policy,
 					    int len)
 {
-	if (nla_len(nla) < len)
+	int nested_len = nla_len(nla) - NLA_ALIGN(len);
+
+	if (nested_len < 0)
 		return -1;
-	if (nla_len(nla) >= NLA_ALIGN(len) + sizeof(struct nlattr))
-		return nla_parse_nested(tb, maxtype,
-					nla_data(nla) + NLA_ALIGN(len),
-					policy);
+	if (nested_len >= nla_attr_size(0))
+		return nla_parse(tb, maxtype, nla_data(nla) + NLA_ALIGN(len),
+				 nested_len, policy);
 	memset(tb, 0, sizeof(struct nlattr *) * (maxtype + 1));
 	return 0;
 }