diff --git a/include/net/net_namespace.h b/include/net/net_namespace.h
index f880b0f..aa540e6 100644
--- a/include/net/net_namespace.h
+++ b/include/net/net_namespace.h
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 	atomic_t		count;		/* To decided when the network
 						 *  namespace should be freed.
 						 */
+#ifdef NETNS_REFCNT_DEBUG
 	atomic_t		use_count;	/* To track references we
 						 * destroy on demand
 						 */
+#endif
 	struct list_head	list;		/* list of network namespaces */
 	struct work_struct	work;		/* work struct for freeing */
 
@@ -117,17 +119,6 @@
 		__put_net(net);
 }
 
-static inline struct net *hold_net(struct net *net)
-{
-	atomic_inc(&net->use_count);
-	return net;
-}
-
-static inline void release_net(struct net *net)
-{
-	atomic_dec(&net->use_count);
-}
-
 static inline
 int net_eq(const struct net *net1, const struct net *net2)
 {
@@ -143,15 +134,6 @@
 {
 }
 
-static inline struct net *hold_net(struct net *net)
-{
-	return net;
-}
-
-static inline void release_net(struct net *net)
-{
-}
-
 static inline struct net *maybe_get_net(struct net *net)
 {
 	return net;
@@ -164,6 +146,32 @@
 }
 #endif
 
+
+#ifdef NETNS_REFCNT_DEBUG
+static inline struct net *hold_net(struct net *net)
+{
+	if (net)
+		atomic_inc(&net->use_count);
+	return net;
+}
+
+static inline void release_net(struct net *net)
+{
+	if (net)
+		atomic_dec(&net->use_count);
+}
+#else
+static inline struct net *hold_net(struct net *net)
+{
+	return net;
+}
+
+static inline void release_net(struct net *net)
+{
+}
+#endif
+
+
 #define for_each_net(VAR)				\
 	list_for_each_entry(VAR, &net_namespace_list, list)
 
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 763674e..72b4c18 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@
 	struct net_generic *ng;
 
 	atomic_set(&net->count, 1);
+#ifdef NETNS_REFCNT_DEBUG
 	atomic_set(&net->use_count, 0);
+#endif
 
 	error = -ENOMEM;
 	ng = kzalloc(sizeof(struct net_generic) +
@@ -86,11 +88,13 @@
 	if (!net)
 		return;
 
+#ifdef NETNS_REFCNT_DEBUG
 	if (unlikely(atomic_read(&net->use_count) != 0)) {
 		printk(KERN_EMERG "network namespace not free! Usage: %d\n",
 			atomic_read(&net->use_count));
 		return;
 	}
+#endif
 
 	kmem_cache_free(net_cachep, net);
 }