diff --git a/include/net/ax25.h b/include/net/ax25.h
index 7cd528e..69374cd 100644
--- a/include/net/ax25.h
+++ b/include/net/ax25.h
@@ -182,14 +182,26 @@
 
 typedef struct ax25_route {
 	struct ax25_route	*next;
-	atomic_t		ref;
+	atomic_t		refcount;
 	ax25_address		callsign;
 	struct net_device	*dev;
 	ax25_digi		*digipeat;
 	char			ip_mode;
-	struct timer_list	timer;
 } ax25_route;
 
+static inline void ax25_hold_route(ax25_route *ax25_rt)
+{
+	atomic_inc(&ax25_rt->refcount);
+}
+
+extern void __ax25_put_route(ax25_route *ax25_rt);
+
+static inline void ax25_put_route(ax25_route *ax25_rt)
+{
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ax25_rt->refcount))
+		__ax25_put_route(ax25_rt);
+}
+
 typedef struct {
 	char			slave;			/* slave_mode?   */
 	struct timer_list	slave_timer;		/* timeout timer */
@@ -348,17 +360,11 @@
 extern void ax25_rt_device_down(struct net_device *);
 extern int  ax25_rt_ioctl(unsigned int, void __user *);
 extern struct file_operations ax25_route_fops;
+extern ax25_route *ax25_get_route(ax25_address *addr, struct net_device *dev);
 extern int  ax25_rt_autobind(ax25_cb *, ax25_address *);
-extern ax25_route *ax25_rt_find_route(ax25_route *, ax25_address *,
-	struct net_device *);
 extern struct sk_buff *ax25_rt_build_path(struct sk_buff *, ax25_address *, ax25_address *, ax25_digi *);
 extern void ax25_rt_free(void);
 
-static inline void ax25_put_route(ax25_route *ax25_rt)
-{
-	atomic_dec(&ax25_rt->ref);
-}
-
 /* ax25_std_in.c */
 extern int  ax25_std_frame_in(ax25_cb *, struct sk_buff *, int);
 
diff --git a/net/ax25/ax25_ip.c b/net/ax25/ax25_ip.c
index 9be5c15..136c3ae 100644
--- a/net/ax25/ax25_ip.c
+++ b/net/ax25/ax25_ip.c
@@ -103,11 +103,13 @@
 {
 	struct sk_buff *ourskb;
 	unsigned char *bp  = skb->data;
-	struct net_device *dev;
+	ax25_route *route;
+	struct net_device *dev = NULL;
 	ax25_address *src, *dst;
+	ax25_digi *digipeat = NULL;
 	ax25_dev *ax25_dev;
-	ax25_route _route, *route = &_route;
 	ax25_cb *ax25;
+	char ip_mode = ' ';
 
 	dst = (ax25_address *)(bp + 1);
 	src = (ax25_address *)(bp + 8);
@@ -115,8 +117,12 @@
   	if (arp_find(bp + 1, skb))
   		return 1;
 
-	route = ax25_rt_find_route(route, dst, NULL);
-	dev      = route->dev;
+	route = ax25_get_route(dst, NULL);
+	if (route) {
+		digipeat = route->digipeat;
+		dev = route->dev;
+		ip_mode = route->ip_mode;
+	};
 
 	if (dev == NULL)
 		dev = skb->dev;
@@ -126,7 +132,7 @@
 	}
 
 	if (bp[16] == AX25_P_IP) {
-		if (route->ip_mode == 'V' || (route->ip_mode == ' ' && ax25_dev->values[AX25_VALUES_IPDEFMODE])) {
+		if (ip_mode == 'V' || (ip_mode == ' ' && ax25_dev->values[AX25_VALUES_IPDEFMODE])) {
 			/*
 			 *	We copy the buffer and release the original thereby
 			 *	keeping it straight
@@ -172,7 +178,7 @@
 			    ourskb, 
 			    ax25_dev->values[AX25_VALUES_PACLEN], 
 			    &src_c,
-			    &dst_c, route->digipeat, dev);
+			    &dst_c, digipeat, dev);
 			if (ax25) {
 				ax25_cb_put(ax25);
 			}
@@ -190,7 +196,7 @@
 
 	skb_pull(skb, AX25_KISS_HEADER_LEN);
 
-	if (route->digipeat != NULL) {
+	if (digipeat != NULL) {
 		if ((ourskb = ax25_rt_build_path(skb, src, dst, route->digipeat)) == NULL) {
 			kfree_skb(skb);
 			goto put;
@@ -202,7 +208,8 @@
 	ax25_queue_xmit(skb, dev);
 
 put:
-	ax25_put_route(route);
+	if (route)
+		ax25_put_route(route);
 
   	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/net/ax25/ax25_route.c b/net/ax25/ax25_route.c
index 5ac9825..51b7bda 100644
--- a/net/ax25/ax25_route.c
+++ b/net/ax25/ax25_route.c
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@
 static ax25_route *ax25_route_list;
 static DEFINE_RWLOCK(ax25_route_lock);
 
-static ax25_route *ax25_get_route(ax25_address *, struct net_device *);
-
 void ax25_rt_device_down(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	ax25_route *s, *t, *ax25_rt;
@@ -115,7 +113,7 @@
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	atomic_set(&ax25_rt->ref, 0);
+	atomic_set(&ax25_rt->refcount, 1);
 	ax25_rt->callsign     = route->dest_addr;
 	ax25_rt->dev          = ax25_dev->dev;
 	ax25_rt->digipeat     = NULL;
@@ -140,23 +138,10 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void ax25_rt_destroy(ax25_route *ax25_rt)
+void __ax25_put_route(ax25_route *ax25_rt)
 {
-	if (atomic_read(&ax25_rt->ref) == 0) {
-		kfree(ax25_rt->digipeat);
-		kfree(ax25_rt);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Uh...  Route is still in use; we can't yet destroy it.  Retry later.
-	 */
-	init_timer(&ax25_rt->timer);
-	ax25_rt->timer.data	= (unsigned long) ax25_rt;
-	ax25_rt->timer.function	= (void *) ax25_rt_destroy;
-	ax25_rt->timer.expires	= jiffies + 5 * HZ;
-
-	add_timer(&ax25_rt->timer);
+	kfree(ax25_rt->digipeat);
+	kfree(ax25_rt);
 }
 
 static int ax25_rt_del(struct ax25_routes_struct *route)
@@ -177,12 +162,12 @@
 		    ax25cmp(&route->dest_addr, &s->callsign) == 0) {
 			if (ax25_route_list == s) {
 				ax25_route_list = s->next;
-				ax25_rt_destroy(s);
+				ax25_put_route(s);
 			} else {
 				for (t = ax25_route_list; t != NULL; t = t->next) {
 					if (t->next == s) {
 						t->next = s->next;
-						ax25_rt_destroy(s);
+						ax25_put_route(s);
 						break;
 					}
 				}
@@ -362,7 +347,7 @@
  *
  *	Only routes with a reference count of zero can be destroyed.
  */
-static ax25_route *ax25_get_route(ax25_address *addr, struct net_device *dev)
+ax25_route *ax25_get_route(ax25_address *addr, struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	ax25_route *ax25_spe_rt = NULL;
 	ax25_route *ax25_def_rt = NULL;
@@ -392,7 +377,7 @@
 		ax25_rt = ax25_spe_rt;
 
 	if (ax25_rt != NULL)
-		atomic_inc(&ax25_rt->ref);
+		ax25_hold_route(ax25_rt);
 
 	read_unlock(&ax25_route_lock);
 
@@ -467,24 +452,6 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-ax25_route *ax25_rt_find_route(ax25_route * route, ax25_address *addr,
-	struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	ax25_route *ax25_rt;
-
-	if ((ax25_rt = ax25_get_route(addr, dev)))
-		return ax25_rt;
-
-	route->next     = NULL;
-	atomic_set(&route->ref, 1);
-	route->callsign = *addr;
-	route->dev      = dev;
-	route->digipeat = NULL;
-	route->ip_mode  = ' ';
-
-	return route;
-}
-
 struct sk_buff *ax25_rt_build_path(struct sk_buff *skb, ax25_address *src,
 	ax25_address *dest, ax25_digi *digi)
 {