diff --git a/include/net/rtnetlink.h b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
index bb13a182fba6..8fb42070a2c1 100644
--- a/include/net/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
@@ -115,10 +115,9 @@ struct rtnl_af_ops {
 					       const struct nlattr *attr);
 };
 
-int __rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops);
 void __rtnl_af_unregister(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops);
 
-int rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops);
+void rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops);
 void rtnl_af_unregister(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops);
 
 struct net *rtnl_link_get_net(struct net *src_net, struct nlattr *tb[]);
diff --git a/net/bridge/br_netlink.c b/net/bridge/br_netlink.c
index 6526ac89bbfa..e74b6d530cb6 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_netlink.c
+++ b/net/bridge/br_netlink.c
@@ -481,9 +481,7 @@ int __init br_netlink_init(void)
 	int err;
 
 	br_mdb_init();
-	err = rtnl_af_register(&br_af_ops);
-	if (err)
-		goto out;
+	rtnl_af_register(&br_af_ops);
 
 	err = rtnl_link_register(&br_link_ops);
 	if (err)
@@ -493,7 +491,6 @@ int __init br_netlink_init(void)
 
 out_af:
 	rtnl_af_unregister(&br_af_ops);
-out:
 	br_mdb_uninit();
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index cf67144d3e3c..e6e7d582f901 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -402,35 +402,17 @@ static const struct rtnl_af_ops *rtnl_af_lookup(const int family)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-/**
- * __rtnl_af_register - Register rtnl_af_ops with rtnetlink.
- * @ops: struct rtnl_af_ops * to register
- *
- * The caller must hold the rtnl_mutex.
- *
- * Returns 0 on success or a negative error code.
- */
-int __rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops)
-{
-	list_add_tail(&ops->list, &rtnl_af_ops);
-	return 0;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__rtnl_af_register);
-
 /**
  * rtnl_af_register - Register rtnl_af_ops with rtnetlink.
  * @ops: struct rtnl_af_ops * to register
  *
  * Returns 0 on success or a negative error code.
  */
-int rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops)
+void rtnl_af_register(struct rtnl_af_ops *ops)
 {
-	int err;
-
 	rtnl_lock();
-	err = __rtnl_af_register(ops);
+	list_add_tail(&ops->list, &rtnl_af_ops);
 	rtnl_unlock();
-	return err;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtnl_af_register);
 
diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
index 9418ca375132..6c1634507ec2 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
@@ -5207,9 +5207,7 @@ int __init addrconf_init(void)
 
 	addrconf_verify(0);
 
-	err = rtnl_af_register(&inet6_ops);
-	if (err < 0)
-		goto errout_af;
+	rtnl_af_register(&inet6_ops);
 
 	err = __rtnl_register(PF_INET6, RTM_GETLINK, NULL, inet6_dump_ifinfo,
 			      NULL);
@@ -5233,7 +5231,6 @@ int __init addrconf_init(void)
 	return 0;
 errout:
 	rtnl_af_unregister(&inet6_ops);
-errout_af:
 	unregister_netdevice_notifier(&ipv6_dev_notf);
 errlo:
 	unregister_pernet_subsys(&addrconf_ops);