diff --git a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
index 01ea6ee..b2ac624 100644
--- a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
+++ b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
@@ -284,6 +284,8 @@ extern unsigned int nf_conntrack_max;
 extern unsigned int nf_conntrack_hash_rnd;
 void init_nf_conntrack_hash_rnd(void);
 
+void nf_conntrack_tmpl_insert(struct net *net, struct nf_conn *tmpl);
+
 #define NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, count)	  __this_cpu_inc((net)->ct.stat->count)
 #define NF_CT_STAT_INC_ATOMIC(net, count) this_cpu_inc((net)->ct.stat->count)
 
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index 4d1fb5d..bd5ec5a 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -448,7 +448,8 @@ nf_conntrack_hash_check_insert(struct nf_conn *ct)
 			goto out;
 
 	add_timer(&ct->timeout);
-	nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general);
+	/* The caller holds a reference to this object */
+	atomic_set(&ct->ct_general.use, 2);
 	__nf_conntrack_hash_insert(ct, hash, repl_hash);
 	NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, insert);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
@@ -462,6 +463,21 @@ out:
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_hash_check_insert);
 
+/* deletion from this larval template list happens via nf_ct_put() */
+void nf_conntrack_tmpl_insert(struct net *net, struct nf_conn *tmpl)
+{
+	__set_bit(IPS_TEMPLATE_BIT, &tmpl->status);
+	__set_bit(IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT, &tmpl->status);
+	nf_conntrack_get(&tmpl->ct_general);
+
+	spin_lock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+	/* Overload tuple linked list to put us in template list. */
+	hlist_nulls_add_head_rcu(&tmpl->tuplehash[IP_CT_DIR_ORIGINAL].hnnode,
+				 &net->ct.tmpl);
+	spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_tmpl_insert);
+
 /* Confirm a connection given skb; places it in hash table */
 int
 __nf_conntrack_confirm(struct sk_buff *skb)
@@ -733,11 +749,11 @@ __nf_conntrack_alloc(struct net *net, u16 zone,
 		nf_ct_zone->id = zone;
 	}
 #endif
-	/*
-	 * changes to lookup keys must be done before setting refcnt to 1
+	/* Because we use RCU lookups, we set ct_general.use to zero before
+	 * this is inserted in any list.
 	 */
 	smp_wmb();
-	atomic_set(&ct->ct_general.use, 1);
+	atomic_set(&ct->ct_general.use, 0);
 	return ct;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NF_CONNTRACK_ZONES
@@ -761,6 +777,11 @@ void nf_conntrack_free(struct nf_conn *ct)
 {
 	struct net *net = nf_ct_net(ct);
 
+	/* A freed object has refcnt == 0, thats
+	 * the golden rule for SLAB_DESTROY_BY_RCU
+	 */
+	NF_CT_ASSERT(atomic_read(&ct->ct_general.use) == 0);
+
 	nf_ct_ext_destroy(ct);
 	nf_ct_ext_free(ct);
 	kmem_cache_free(net->ct.nf_conntrack_cachep, ct);
@@ -856,6 +877,9 @@ init_conntrack(struct net *net, struct nf_conn *tmpl,
 		NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, new);
 	}
 
+	/* Now it is inserted into the hashes, bump refcount */
+	nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general);
+
 	/* Overload tuple linked list to put us in unconfirmed list. */
 	hlist_nulls_add_head_rcu(&ct->tuplehash[IP_CT_DIR_ORIGINAL].hnnode,
 		       &net->ct.unconfirmed);
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_synproxy_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_synproxy_core.c
index 9858e3e..52e20c9 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_synproxy_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_synproxy_core.c
@@ -363,9 +363,8 @@ static int __net_init synproxy_net_init(struct net *net)
 		goto err2;
 	if (!nfct_synproxy_ext_add(ct))
 		goto err2;
-	__set_bit(IPS_TEMPLATE_BIT, &ct->status);
-	__set_bit(IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT, &ct->status);
 
+	nf_conntrack_tmpl_insert(net, ct);
 	snet->tmpl = ct;
 
 	snet->stats = alloc_percpu(struct synproxy_stats);
@@ -390,7 +389,7 @@ static void __net_exit synproxy_net_exit(struct net *net)
 {
 	struct synproxy_net *snet = synproxy_pernet(net);
 
-	nf_conntrack_free(snet->tmpl);
+	nf_ct_put(snet->tmpl);
 	synproxy_proc_exit(net);
 	free_percpu(snet->stats);
 }
diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_CT.c b/net/netfilter/xt_CT.c
index 5929be6..75747ae 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_CT.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_CT.c
@@ -228,12 +228,7 @@ static int xt_ct_tg_check(const struct xt_tgchk_param *par,
 			goto err3;
 	}
 
-	__set_bit(IPS_TEMPLATE_BIT, &ct->status);
-	__set_bit(IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT, &ct->status);
-
-	/* Overload tuple linked list to put us in template list. */
-	hlist_nulls_add_head_rcu(&ct->tuplehash[IP_CT_DIR_ORIGINAL].hnnode,
-				 &par->net->ct.tmpl);
+	nf_conntrack_tmpl_insert(par->net, ct);
 out:
 	info->ct = ct;
 	return 0;