diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 4fdeccf22378..3476d20b75d4 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -4212,7 +4212,8 @@ static inline u32 netif_msg_init(int debug_value, int default_msg_enable_bits)
 static inline void __netif_tx_lock(struct netdev_queue *txq, int cpu)
 {
 	spin_lock(&txq->_xmit_lock);
-	txq->xmit_lock_owner = cpu;
+	/* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __dev_queue_xmit() */
+	WRITE_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner, cpu);
 }
 
 static inline bool __netif_tx_acquire(struct netdev_queue *txq)
@@ -4229,26 +4230,32 @@ static inline void __netif_tx_release(struct netdev_queue *txq)
 static inline void __netif_tx_lock_bh(struct netdev_queue *txq)
 {
 	spin_lock_bh(&txq->_xmit_lock);
-	txq->xmit_lock_owner = smp_processor_id();
+	/* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __dev_queue_xmit() */
+	WRITE_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner, smp_processor_id());
 }
 
 static inline bool __netif_tx_trylock(struct netdev_queue *txq)
 {
 	bool ok = spin_trylock(&txq->_xmit_lock);
-	if (likely(ok))
-		txq->xmit_lock_owner = smp_processor_id();
+
+	if (likely(ok)) {
+		/* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __dev_queue_xmit() */
+		WRITE_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner, smp_processor_id());
+	}
 	return ok;
 }
 
 static inline void __netif_tx_unlock(struct netdev_queue *txq)
 {
-	txq->xmit_lock_owner = -1;
+	/* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __dev_queue_xmit() */
+	WRITE_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner, -1);
 	spin_unlock(&txq->_xmit_lock);
 }
 
 static inline void __netif_tx_unlock_bh(struct netdev_queue *txq)
 {
-	txq->xmit_lock_owner = -1;
+	/* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __dev_queue_xmit() */
+	WRITE_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner, -1);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&txq->_xmit_lock);
 }
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 7dd7b9fb600c..60cf3cd0c282 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -4147,7 +4147,10 @@ static int __dev_queue_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *sb_dev)
 	if (dev->flags & IFF_UP) {
 		int cpu = smp_processor_id(); /* ok because BHs are off */
 
-		if (txq->xmit_lock_owner != cpu) {
+		/* Other cpus might concurrently change txq->xmit_lock_owner
+		 * to -1 or to their cpu id, but not to our id.
+		 */
+		if (READ_ONCE(txq->xmit_lock_owner) != cpu) {
 			if (dev_xmit_recursion())
 				goto recursion_alert;