diff --git a/net/ipv4/devinet.c b/net/ipv4/devinet.c
index abf6352..dc77e91 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/devinet.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/devinet.c
@@ -401,8 +401,11 @@ static int inet_set_ifa(struct net_device *dev, struct in_ifaddr *ifa)
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
 
 	if (!in_dev) {
-		inet_free_ifa(ifa);
-		return -ENOBUFS;
+		in_dev = inetdev_init(dev);
+		if (!in_dev) {
+			inet_free_ifa(ifa);
+			return -ENOBUFS;
+		}
 	}
 	ipv4_devconf_setall(in_dev);
 	if (ifa->ifa_dev != in_dev) {
@@ -514,8 +517,11 @@ static struct in_ifaddr *rtm_to_ifaddr(struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
 
 	in_dev = __in_dev_get_rtnl(dev);
 	if (in_dev == NULL) {
-		err = -ENOBUFS;
-		goto errout;
+		in_dev = inetdev_init(dev);
+		if (!in_dev) {
+			err = -ENOBUFS;
+			goto errout;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ipv4_devconf_setall(in_dev);