diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index e3226284e480..2a7423c39456 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -2745,6 +2745,8 @@ static int ip6_route_check_nh_onlink(struct net *net,
 	grt = ip6_nh_lookup_table(net, cfg, gw_addr, tbid, 0);
 	if (grt) {
 		if (!grt->dst.error &&
+		    /* ignore match if it is the default route */
+		    grt->from && !ipv6_addr_any(&grt->from->fib6_dst.addr) &&
 		    (grt->rt6i_flags & flags || dev != grt->dst.dev)) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack,
 				       "Nexthop has invalid gateway or device mismatch");
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/fib-onlink-tests.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/fib-onlink-tests.sh
index 3991ad1a368d..864f865eee55 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/fib-onlink-tests.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/fib-onlink-tests.sh
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ setup()
 	# add vrf table
 	ip li add ${VRF} type vrf table ${VRF_TABLE}
 	ip li set ${VRF} up
-	ip ro add table ${VRF_TABLE} unreachable default
-	ip -6 ro add table ${VRF_TABLE} unreachable default
+	ip ro add table ${VRF_TABLE} unreachable default metric 8192
+	ip -6 ro add table ${VRF_TABLE} unreachable default metric 8192
 
 	# create test interfaces
 	ip li add ${NETIFS[p1]} type veth peer name ${NETIFS[p2]}
@@ -185,20 +185,20 @@ setup()
 	for n in 1 3 5 7; do
 		ip li set ${NETIFS[p${n}]} up
 		ip addr add ${V4ADDRS[p${n}]}/24 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]}
-		ip addr add ${V6ADDRS[p${n}]}/64 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]}
+		ip addr add ${V6ADDRS[p${n}]}/64 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]} nodad
 	done
 
 	# move peer interfaces to namespace and add addresses
 	for n in 2 4 6 8; do
 		ip li set ${NETIFS[p${n}]} netns ${PEER_NS} up
 		ip -netns ${PEER_NS} addr add ${V4ADDRS[p${n}]}/24 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]}
-		ip -netns ${PEER_NS} addr add ${V6ADDRS[p${n}]}/64 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]}
+		ip -netns ${PEER_NS} addr add ${V6ADDRS[p${n}]}/64 dev ${NETIFS[p${n}]} nodad
 	done
 
-	set +e
+	ip -6 ro add default via ${V6ADDRS[p3]/::[0-9]/::64}
+	ip -6 ro add table ${VRF_TABLE} default via ${V6ADDRS[p7]/::[0-9]/::64}
 
-	# let DAD complete - assume default of 1 probe
-	sleep 1
+	set +e
 }
 
 cleanup()