diff --git a/net/ipv4/nexthop.c b/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
index 1aa2b05ee8de..c942f1282236 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/nexthop.c
@@ -2002,7 +2002,8 @@ static void nh_hthr_group_rebalance(struct nh_group *nhg)
 }
 
 static void remove_nh_grp_entry(struct net *net, struct nh_grp_entry *nhge,
-				struct nl_info *nlinfo)
+				struct nl_info *nlinfo,
+				struct list_head *deferred_free)
 {
 	struct nh_grp_entry *nhges, *new_nhges;
 	struct nexthop *nhp = nhge->nh_parent;
@@ -2062,8 +2063,8 @@ static void remove_nh_grp_entry(struct net *net, struct nh_grp_entry *nhge,
 	rcu_assign_pointer(nhp->nh_grp, newg);
 
 	list_del(&nhge->nh_list);
-	free_percpu(nhge->stats);
 	nexthop_put(nhge->nh);
+	list_add(&nhge->nh_list, deferred_free);
 
 	/* Removal of a NH from a resilient group is notified through
 	 * bucket notifications.
@@ -2083,6 +2084,7 @@ static void remove_nexthop_from_groups(struct net *net, struct nexthop *nh,
 				       struct nl_info *nlinfo)
 {
 	struct nh_grp_entry *nhge, *tmp;
+	LIST_HEAD(deferred_free);
 
 	/* If there is nothing to do, let's avoid the costly call to
 	 * synchronize_net()
@@ -2091,10 +2093,16 @@ static void remove_nexthop_from_groups(struct net *net, struct nexthop *nh,
 		return;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(nhge, tmp, &nh->grp_list, nh_list)
-		remove_nh_grp_entry(net, nhge, nlinfo);
+		remove_nh_grp_entry(net, nhge, nlinfo, &deferred_free);
 
 	/* make sure all see the newly published array before releasing rtnl */
 	synchronize_net();
+
+	/* Now safe to free percpu stats — all RCU readers have finished */
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(nhge, tmp, &deferred_free, nh_list) {
+		list_del(&nhge->nh_list);
+		free_percpu(nhge->stats);
+	}
 }
 
 static void remove_nexthop_group(struct nexthop *nh, struct nl_info *nlinfo)