diff --git a/include/net/netns/ipv4.h b/include/net/netns/ipv4.h
index 22b4c6df1d2b..94568e022001 100644
--- a/include/net/netns/ipv4.h
+++ b/include/net/netns/ipv4.h
@@ -31,18 +31,16 @@ struct ping_group_range {
 struct inet_hashinfo;
 
 struct inet_timewait_death_row {
-	atomic_t		tw_count;
-	char			tw_pad[L1_CACHE_BYTES - sizeof(atomic_t)];
+	refcount_t		tw_refcount;
 
-	struct inet_hashinfo 	*hashinfo;
+	struct inet_hashinfo 	*hashinfo ____cacheline_aligned_in_smp;
 	int			sysctl_max_tw_buckets;
 };
 
 struct tcp_fastopen_context;
 
 struct netns_ipv4 {
-	/* Please keep tcp_death_row at first field in netns_ipv4 */
-	struct inet_timewait_death_row tcp_death_row ____cacheline_aligned_in_smp;
+	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYSCTL
 	struct ctl_table_header	*forw_hdr;
diff --git a/net/dccp/minisocks.c b/net/dccp/minisocks.c
index 91e7a2202697..64d805b27add 100644
--- a/net/dccp/minisocks.c
+++ b/net/dccp/minisocks.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "feat.h"
 
 struct inet_timewait_death_row dccp_death_row = {
+	.tw_refcount = REFCOUNT_INIT(1),
 	.sysctl_max_tw_buckets = NR_FILE * 2,
 	.hashinfo	= &dccp_hashinfo,
 };
diff --git a/net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c b/net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c
index 71808c7a7025..9e0bbd026560 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ static void inet_twsk_kill(struct inet_timewait_sock *tw)
 	inet_twsk_bind_unhash(tw, hashinfo);
 	spin_unlock(&bhead->lock);
 
-	atomic_dec(&tw->tw_dr->tw_count);
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&tw->tw_dr->tw_refcount))
+		kfree(tw->tw_dr);
+
 	inet_twsk_put(tw);
 }
 
@@ -157,7 +159,7 @@ struct inet_timewait_sock *inet_twsk_alloc(const struct sock *sk,
 {
 	struct inet_timewait_sock *tw;
 
-	if (atomic_read(&dr->tw_count) >= dr->sysctl_max_tw_buckets)
+	if (refcount_read(&dr->tw_refcount) - 1 >= dr->sysctl_max_tw_buckets)
 		return NULL;
 
 	tw = kmem_cache_alloc(sk->sk_prot_creator->twsk_prot->twsk_slab,
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ void __inet_twsk_schedule(struct inet_timewait_sock *tw, int timeo, bool rearm)
 		__NET_INC_STATS(twsk_net(tw), kill ? LINUX_MIB_TIMEWAITKILLED :
 						     LINUX_MIB_TIMEWAITED);
 		BUG_ON(mod_timer(&tw->tw_timer, jiffies + timeo));
-		atomic_inc(&tw->tw_dr->tw_count);
+		refcount_inc(&tw->tw_dr->tw_refcount);
 	} else {
 		mod_timer_pending(&tw->tw_timer, jiffies + timeo);
 	}
diff --git a/net/ipv4/proc.c b/net/ipv4/proc.c
index f30273afb539..28836071f0a6 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/proc.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/proc.c
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ static int sockstat_seq_show(struct seq_file *seq, void *v)
 	socket_seq_show(seq);
 	seq_printf(seq, "TCP: inuse %d orphan %d tw %d alloc %d mem %ld\n",
 		   sock_prot_inuse_get(net, &tcp_prot), orphans,
-		   atomic_read(&net->ipv4.tcp_death_row.tw_count), sockets,
-		   proto_memory_allocated(&tcp_prot));
+		   refcount_read(&net->ipv4.tcp_death_row->tw_refcount) - 1,
+		   sockets, proto_memory_allocated(&tcp_prot));
 	seq_printf(seq, "UDP: inuse %d mem %ld\n",
 		   sock_prot_inuse_get(net, &udp_prot),
 		   proto_memory_allocated(&udp_prot));
diff --git a/net/ipv4/sysctl_net_ipv4.c b/net/ipv4/sysctl_net_ipv4.c
index 97eb54774924..1cae27b5dcd8 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/sysctl_net_ipv4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/sysctl_net_ipv4.c
@@ -589,6 +589,14 @@ static struct ctl_table ipv4_table[] = {
 };
 
 static struct ctl_table ipv4_net_table[] = {
+	/* tcp_max_tw_buckets must be first in this table. */
+	{
+		.procname	= "tcp_max_tw_buckets",
+/*		.data		= &init_net.ipv4.tcp_death_row.sysctl_max_tw_buckets, */
+		.maxlen		= sizeof(int),
+		.mode		= 0644,
+		.proc_handler	= proc_dointvec
+	},
 	{
 		.procname	= "icmp_echo_ignore_all",
 		.data		= &init_net.ipv4.sysctl_icmp_echo_ignore_all,
@@ -1000,13 +1008,6 @@ static struct ctl_table ipv4_net_table[] = {
 		.extra1		= SYSCTL_ZERO,
 		.extra2		= &two,
 	},
-	{
-		.procname	= "tcp_max_tw_buckets",
-		.data		= &init_net.ipv4.tcp_death_row.sysctl_max_tw_buckets,
-		.maxlen		= sizeof(int),
-		.mode		= 0644,
-		.proc_handler	= proc_dointvec
-	},
 	{
 		.procname	= "tcp_max_syn_backlog",
 		.data		= &init_net.ipv4.sysctl_max_syn_backlog,
@@ -1400,7 +1401,8 @@ static __net_init int ipv4_sysctl_init_net(struct net *net)
 		if (!table)
 			goto err_alloc;
 
-		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(ipv4_net_table) - 1; i++) {
+		/* skip first entry (sysctl_max_tw_buckets) */
+		for (i = 1; i < ARRAY_SIZE(ipv4_net_table) - 1; i++) {
 			if (table[i].data) {
 				/* Update the variables to point into
 				 * the current struct net
@@ -1415,6 +1417,8 @@ static __net_init int ipv4_sysctl_init_net(struct net *net)
 		}
 	}
 
+	table[0].data = &net->ipv4.tcp_death_row->sysctl_max_tw_buckets;
+
 	net->ipv4.ipv4_hdr = register_net_sysctl(net, "net/ipv4", table);
 	if (!net->ipv4.ipv4_hdr)
 		goto err_reg;
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
index a7d83ceea420..00cd6ccf3ab4 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ int tcp_v4_connect(struct sock *sk, struct sockaddr *uaddr, int addr_len)
 	struct rtable *rt;
 	int err;
 	struct ip_options_rcu *inet_opt;
-	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = &sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
+	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
 
 	if (addr_len < sizeof(struct sockaddr_in))
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -3117,9 +3117,13 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcp_prot);
 
 static void __net_exit tcp_sk_exit(struct net *net)
 {
+	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = net->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
+
 	if (net->ipv4.tcp_congestion_control)
 		bpf_module_put(net->ipv4.tcp_congestion_control,
 			       net->ipv4.tcp_congestion_control->owner);
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&tcp_death_row->tw_refcount))
+		kfree(tcp_death_row);
 }
 
 static int __net_init tcp_sk_init(struct net *net)
@@ -3151,9 +3155,13 @@ static int __net_init tcp_sk_init(struct net *net)
 	net->ipv4.sysctl_tcp_tw_reuse = 2;
 	net->ipv4.sysctl_tcp_no_ssthresh_metrics_save = 1;
 
+	net->ipv4.tcp_death_row = kzalloc(sizeof(struct inet_timewait_death_row), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!net->ipv4.tcp_death_row)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	refcount_set(&net->ipv4.tcp_death_row->tw_refcount, 1);
 	cnt = tcp_hashinfo.ehash_mask + 1;
-	net->ipv4.tcp_death_row.sysctl_max_tw_buckets = cnt / 2;
-	net->ipv4.tcp_death_row.hashinfo = &tcp_hashinfo;
+	net->ipv4.tcp_death_row->sysctl_max_tw_buckets = cnt / 2;
+	net->ipv4.tcp_death_row->hashinfo = &tcp_hashinfo;
 
 	net->ipv4.sysctl_max_syn_backlog = max(128, cnt / 128);
 	net->ipv4.sysctl_tcp_sack = 1;
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
index 7c2d3ac2363a..3977257f80d9 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ void tcp_time_wait(struct sock *sk, int state, int timeo)
 	const struct inet_connection_sock *icsk = inet_csk(sk);
 	const struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
 	struct inet_timewait_sock *tw;
-	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = &sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
+	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
 
 	tw = inet_twsk_alloc(sk, tcp_death_row, state);
 
diff --git a/net/ipv6/tcp_ipv6.c b/net/ipv6/tcp_ipv6.c
index 1e55ee98dfed..0c648bf07f39 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/tcp_ipv6.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/tcp_ipv6.c
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ static int tcp_v6_connect(struct sock *sk, struct sockaddr *uaddr,
 	struct sockaddr_in6 *usin = (struct sockaddr_in6 *) uaddr;
 	struct inet_sock *inet = inet_sk(sk);
 	struct inet_connection_sock *icsk = inet_csk(sk);
+	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row;
 	struct ipv6_pinfo *np = tcp_inet6_sk(sk);
 	struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
 	struct in6_addr *saddr = NULL, *final_p, final;
@@ -156,7 +157,6 @@ static int tcp_v6_connect(struct sock *sk, struct sockaddr *uaddr,
 	struct dst_entry *dst;
 	int addr_type;
 	int err;
-	struct inet_timewait_death_row *tcp_death_row = &sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
 
 	if (addr_len < SIN6_LEN_RFC2133)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ static int tcp_v6_connect(struct sock *sk, struct sockaddr *uaddr,
 	inet->inet_dport = usin->sin6_port;
 
 	tcp_set_state(sk, TCP_SYN_SENT);
+	tcp_death_row = sock_net(sk)->ipv4.tcp_death_row;
 	err = inet6_hash_connect(tcp_death_row, sk);
 	if (err)
 		goto late_failure;