diff --git a/drivers/net/can/dev.c b/drivers/net/can/dev.c
index 1e0c1a05df82..2ae9feb99a07 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/dev.c
@@ -1226,7 +1226,6 @@ static void can_dellink(struct net_device *dev, struct list_head *head)
 
 static struct rtnl_link_ops can_link_ops __read_mostly = {
 	.kind		= "can",
-	.netns_refund	= true,
 	.maxtype	= IFLA_CAN_MAX,
 	.policy		= can_policy,
 	.setup		= can_setup,
diff --git a/include/net/rtnetlink.h b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
index 4da61c950e93..e2091bb2b3a8 100644
--- a/include/net/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ static inline int rtnl_msg_family(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
  *
  *	@list: Used internally
  *	@kind: Identifier
- *	@netns_refund: Physical device, move to init_net on netns exit
  *	@maxtype: Highest device specific netlink attribute number
  *	@policy: Netlink policy for device specific attribute validation
  *	@validate: Optional validation function for netlink/changelink parameters
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ struct rtnl_link_ops {
 	size_t			priv_size;
 	void			(*setup)(struct net_device *dev);
 
-	bool			netns_refund;
 	unsigned int		maxtype;
 	const struct nla_policy	*policy;
 	int			(*validate)(struct nlattr *tb[],
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 93e4abf32784..128763a06937 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -10128,7 +10128,7 @@ static void __net_exit default_device_exit(struct net *net)
 			continue;
 
 		/* Leave virtual devices for the generic cleanup */
-		if (dev->rtnl_link_ops && !dev->rtnl_link_ops->netns_refund)
+		if (dev->rtnl_link_ops)
 			continue;
 
 		/* Push remaining network devices to init_net */