diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/netlink.c b/drivers/net/ovpn/netlink.c
index b70ecfaf46c8..97d25788a2a2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ovpn/netlink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/netlink.c
@@ -1175,7 +1175,6 @@ int ovpn_nl_key_del_doit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
  */
 int ovpn_nl_peer_del_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer)
 {
-	struct ovpn_socket *sock;
 	struct sk_buff *msg;
 	struct nlattr *attr;
 	int ret = -EMSGSIZE;
@@ -1208,23 +1207,12 @@ int ovpn_nl_peer_del_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer)
 		goto err_cancel_msg;
 
 	nla_nest_end(msg, attr);
-
 	genlmsg_end(msg, hdr);
-
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	sock = rcu_dereference(peer->sock);
-	if (!sock) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_unlock;
-	}
-	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, sock_net(sock->sk), msg, 0,
-				OVPN_NLGRP_PEERS, GFP_ATOMIC);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, dev_net(peer->ovpn->dev), msg,
+				0, OVPN_NLGRP_PEERS, GFP_ATOMIC);
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_unlock:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 err_cancel_msg:
 	genlmsg_cancel(msg, hdr);
 err_free_msg:
@@ -1242,7 +1230,6 @@ int ovpn_nl_peer_del_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer)
 int ovpn_nl_peer_float_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer,
 			      const struct sockaddr_storage *ss)
 {
-	struct ovpn_socket *sock;
 	struct sockaddr_in6 *sa6;
 	struct sockaddr_in *sa;
 	struct sk_buff *msg;
@@ -1292,21 +1279,11 @@ int ovpn_nl_peer_float_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer,
 
 	nla_nest_end(msg, attr);
 	genlmsg_end(msg, hdr);
-
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	sock = rcu_dereference(peer->sock);
-	if (!sock) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_unlock;
-	}
-	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, sock_net(sock->sk), msg,
+	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, dev_net(peer->ovpn->dev), msg,
 				0, OVPN_NLGRP_PEERS, GFP_ATOMIC);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_unlock:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 err_cancel_msg:
 	genlmsg_cancel(msg, hdr);
 err_free_msg:
@@ -1323,7 +1300,6 @@ int ovpn_nl_peer_float_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer,
  */
 int ovpn_nl_key_swap_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer, u8 key_id)
 {
-	struct ovpn_socket *sock;
 	struct nlattr *k_attr;
 	struct sk_buff *msg;
 	int ret = -EMSGSIZE;
@@ -1357,20 +1333,10 @@ int ovpn_nl_key_swap_notify(struct ovpn_peer *peer, u8 key_id)
 
 	nla_nest_end(msg, k_attr);
 	genlmsg_end(msg, hdr);
-
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	sock = rcu_dereference(peer->sock);
-	if (!sock) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_unlock;
-	}
-	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, sock_net(sock->sk), msg, 0,
-				OVPN_NLGRP_PEERS, GFP_ATOMIC);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	genlmsg_multicast_netns(&ovpn_nl_family, dev_net(peer->ovpn->dev), msg,
+				0, OVPN_NLGRP_PEERS, GFP_ATOMIC);
 
 	return 0;
-err_unlock:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 err_cancel_msg:
 	genlmsg_cancel(msg, hdr);
 err_free_msg: