diff --git a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
index c85e71e0c7ffc640bd9592ce52b03dbde6cad926..8f56b2b63bfb35bdb9060f0d101221be21580fc0 100644
--- a/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
+++ b/net/ieee802154/6lowpan.c
@@ -1372,6 +1372,8 @@ static int lowpan_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 	real_dev = dev_get_by_index(src_net, nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_LINK]));
 	if (!real_dev)
 		return -ENODEV;
+	if (real_dev->type != ARPHRD_IEEE802154)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	lowpan_dev_info(dev)->real_dev = real_dev;
 	lowpan_dev_info(dev)->fragment_tag = 0;