diff --git a/net/Kconfig b/net/Kconfig
index d789d79551ae..8c3d97ca0d96 100644
--- a/net/Kconfig
+++ b/net/Kconfig
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ menu "Networking options"
 config NET_NS
 	bool "Network namespace support"
 	default n
-	depends on EXPERIMENTAL && !SYSFS && NAMESPACES
+	depends on EXPERIMENTAL && NAMESPACES
 	help
 	  Allow user space to create what appear to be multiple instances
 	  of the network stack.
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index d9038e328cc1..3a2b8be9e67b 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -924,10 +924,15 @@ int dev_change_name(struct net_device *dev, const char *newname)
 		strlcpy(dev->name, newname, IFNAMSIZ);
 
 rollback:
-	ret = device_rename(&dev->dev, dev->name);
-	if (ret) {
-		memcpy(dev->name, oldname, IFNAMSIZ);
-		return ret;
+	/* For now only devices in the initial network namespace
+	 * are in sysfs.
+	 */
+	if (net == &init_net) {
+		ret = device_rename(&dev->dev, dev->name);
+		if (ret) {
+			memcpy(dev->name, oldname, IFNAMSIZ);
+			return ret;
+		}
 	}
 
 	write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
@@ -4460,6 +4465,15 @@ int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net, const char
 	if (dev->features & NETIF_F_NETNS_LOCAL)
 		goto out;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SYSFS
+	/* Don't allow real devices to be moved when sysfs
+	 * is enabled.
+	 */
+	err = -EINVAL;
+	if (dev->dev.parent)
+		goto out;
+#endif
+
 	/* Ensure the device has been registrered */
 	err = -EINVAL;
 	if (dev->reg_state != NETREG_REGISTERED)
@@ -4517,6 +4531,8 @@ int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net, const char
 	 */
 	dev_addr_discard(dev);
 
+	netdev_unregister_kobject(dev);
+
 	/* Actually switch the network namespace */
 	dev_net_set(dev, net);
 
@@ -4533,7 +4549,6 @@ int dev_change_net_namespace(struct net_device *dev, struct net *net, const char
 	}
 
 	/* Fixup kobjects */
-	netdev_unregister_kobject(dev);
 	err = netdev_register_kobject(dev);
 	WARN_ON(err);
 
diff --git a/net/core/net-sysfs.c b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
index 92d6b9467314..85cb8bdcfb8f 100644
--- a/net/core/net-sysfs.c
+++ b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
@@ -476,6 +476,10 @@ void netdev_unregister_kobject(struct net_device * net)
 	struct device *dev = &(net->dev);
 
 	kobject_get(&dev->kobj);
+
+	if (dev_net(net) != &init_net)
+		return;
+
 	device_del(dev);
 }
 
@@ -501,6 +505,9 @@ int netdev_register_kobject(struct net_device *net)
 #endif
 #endif /* CONFIG_SYSFS */
 
+	if (dev_net(net) != &init_net)
+		return 0;
+
 	return device_add(dev);
 }