diff --git a/include/net/ip.h b/include/net/ip.h
index 3af3ed9d320b..875c5ed53343 100644
--- a/include/net/ip.h
+++ b/include/net/ip.h
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ enum ip_defrag_users
 	IP_DEFRAG_VS_FWD
 };
 
-struct sk_buff *ip_defrag(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 user);
+int ip_defrag(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 user);
 extern int ip_frag_nqueues;
 extern atomic_t ip_frag_mem;
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/ip_fragment.c b/net/ipv4/ip_fragment.c
index d7fa2bf3a0c1..32108cf2a784 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/ip_fragment.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/ip_fragment.c
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ out_fail:
 }
 
 /* Process an incoming IP datagram fragment. */
-struct sk_buff *ip_defrag(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 user)
+int ip_defrag(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 user)
 {
 	struct ipq *qp;
 
@@ -759,12 +759,12 @@ struct sk_buff *ip_defrag(struct sk_buff *skb, u32 user)
 
 		spin_unlock(&qp->lock);
 		ipq_put(qp, NULL);
-		return ret ? NULL : skb;
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	IP_INC_STATS_BH(IPSTATS_MIB_REASMFAILS);
 	kfree_skb(skb);
-	return NULL;
+	return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
 void __init ipfrag_init(void)
diff --git a/net/ipv4/ip_input.c b/net/ipv4/ip_input.c
index 41d8964591e7..8f75e43ad3b3 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/ip_input.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/ip_input.c
@@ -172,8 +172,7 @@ int ip_call_ra_chain(struct sk_buff *skb)
 		    (!sk->sk_bound_dev_if ||
 		     sk->sk_bound_dev_if == skb->dev->ifindex)) {
 			if (ip_hdr(skb)->frag_off & htons(IP_MF | IP_OFFSET)) {
-				skb = ip_defrag(skb, IP_DEFRAG_CALL_RA_CHAIN);
-				if (skb == NULL) {
+				if (ip_defrag(skb, IP_DEFRAG_CALL_RA_CHAIN)) {
 					read_unlock(&ip_ra_lock);
 					return 1;
 				}
@@ -265,8 +264,7 @@ int ip_local_deliver(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	 */
 
 	if (ip_hdr(skb)->frag_off & htons(IP_MF | IP_OFFSET)) {
-		skb = ip_defrag(skb, IP_DEFRAG_LOCAL_DELIVER);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (ip_defrag(skb, IP_DEFRAG_LOCAL_DELIVER))
 			return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/ipvs/ip_vs_core.c b/net/ipv4/ipvs/ip_vs_core.c
index fbca2a2ff29f..3487337192c6 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/ipvs/ip_vs_core.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/ipvs/ip_vs_core.c
@@ -541,13 +541,14 @@ __sum16 ip_vs_checksum_complete(struct sk_buff *skb, int offset)
 	return csum_fold(skb_checksum(skb, offset, skb->len - offset, 0));
 }
 
-static inline struct sk_buff *
-ip_vs_gather_frags(struct sk_buff *skb, u_int32_t user)
+static inline int ip_vs_gather_frags(struct sk_buff *skb, u_int32_t user)
 {
-	skb = ip_defrag(skb, user);
-	if (skb)
+	int err = ip_defrag(skb, user);
+
+	if (!err)
 		ip_send_check(ip_hdr(skb));
-	return skb;
+
+	return err;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -619,10 +620,8 @@ static int ip_vs_out_icmp(struct sk_buff **pskb, int *related)
 
 	/* reassemble IP fragments */
 	if (ip_hdr(skb)->frag_off & htons(IP_MF | IP_OFFSET)) {
-		skb = ip_vs_gather_frags(skb, IP_DEFRAG_VS_OUT);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (ip_vs_gather_frags(skb, IP_DEFRAG_VS_OUT))
 			return NF_STOLEN;
-		*pskb = skb;
 	}
 
 	iph = ip_hdr(skb);
@@ -756,11 +755,9 @@ ip_vs_out(unsigned int hooknum, struct sk_buff **pskb,
 	/* reassemble IP fragments */
 	if (unlikely(iph->frag_off & htons(IP_MF|IP_OFFSET) &&
 		     !pp->dont_defrag)) {
-		skb = ip_vs_gather_frags(skb, IP_DEFRAG_VS_OUT);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (ip_vs_gather_frags(skb, IP_DEFRAG_VS_OUT))
 			return NF_STOLEN;
 		iph = ip_hdr(skb);
-		*pskb = skb;
 	}
 
 	ihl = iph->ihl << 2;
@@ -861,12 +858,9 @@ ip_vs_in_icmp(struct sk_buff **pskb, int *related, unsigned int hooknum)
 
 	/* reassemble IP fragments */
 	if (ip_hdr(skb)->frag_off & htons(IP_MF | IP_OFFSET)) {
-		skb = ip_vs_gather_frags(skb,
-					 hooknum == NF_IP_LOCAL_IN ?
-					 IP_DEFRAG_VS_IN : IP_DEFRAG_VS_FWD);
-		if (!skb)
+		if (ip_vs_gather_frags(skb, hooknum == NF_IP_LOCAL_IN ?
+					    IP_DEFRAG_VS_IN : IP_DEFRAG_VS_FWD))
 			return NF_STOLEN;
-		*pskb = skb;
 	}
 
 	iph = ip_hdr(skb);
diff --git a/net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_conntrack_l3proto_ipv4.c b/net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_conntrack_l3proto_ipv4.c
index 2fcb9249a8da..48fdd9eb1c71 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_conntrack_l3proto_ipv4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_conntrack_l3proto_ipv4.c
@@ -63,19 +63,20 @@ static int ipv4_print_conntrack(struct seq_file *s,
 }
 
 /* Returns new sk_buff, or NULL */
-static struct sk_buff *
-nf_ct_ipv4_gather_frags(struct sk_buff *skb, u_int32_t user)
+static int nf_ct_ipv4_gather_frags(struct sk_buff *skb, u_int32_t user)
 {
+	int err;
+
 	skb_orphan(skb);
 
 	local_bh_disable();
-	skb = ip_defrag(skb, user);
+	err = ip_defrag(skb, user);
 	local_bh_enable();
 
-	if (skb)
+	if (!err)
 		ip_send_check(ip_hdr(skb));
 
-	return skb;
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int ipv4_get_l4proto(const struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int nhoff,
@@ -148,11 +149,10 @@ static unsigned int ipv4_conntrack_defrag(unsigned int hooknum,
 
 	/* Gather fragments. */
 	if (ip_hdr(*pskb)->frag_off & htons(IP_MF | IP_OFFSET)) {
-		*pskb = nf_ct_ipv4_gather_frags(*pskb,
-						hooknum == NF_IP_PRE_ROUTING ?
-						IP_DEFRAG_CONNTRACK_IN :
-						IP_DEFRAG_CONNTRACK_OUT);
-		if (!*pskb)
+		if (nf_ct_ipv4_gather_frags(*pskb,
+					    hooknum == NF_IP_PRE_ROUTING ?
+					    IP_DEFRAG_CONNTRACK_IN :
+					    IP_DEFRAG_CONNTRACK_OUT))
 			return NF_STOLEN;
 	}
 	return NF_ACCEPT;