diff --git a/include/net/dst_ops.h b/include/net/dst_ops.h
index 632086b2f644..88ff7bb2bb9b 100644
--- a/include/net/dst_ops.h
+++ b/include/net/dst_ops.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ struct dst_ops {
 	unsigned short		family;
 	unsigned int		gc_thresh;
 
-	void			(*gc)(struct dst_ops *ops);
+	int			(*gc)(struct dst_ops *ops);
 	struct dst_entry *	(*check)(struct dst_entry *, __u32 cookie);
 	unsigned int		(*default_advmss)(const struct dst_entry *);
 	unsigned int		(*mtu)(const struct dst_entry *);
diff --git a/net/core/dst.c b/net/core/dst.c
index 453ec8aafc4a..fb3bcba87744 100644
--- a/net/core/dst.c
+++ b/net/core/dst.c
@@ -83,8 +83,12 @@ void *dst_alloc(struct dst_ops *ops, struct net_device *dev,
 
 	if (ops->gc &&
 	    !(flags & DST_NOCOUNT) &&
-	    dst_entries_get_fast(ops) > ops->gc_thresh)
-		ops->gc(ops);
+	    dst_entries_get_fast(ops) > ops->gc_thresh) {
+		if (ops->gc(ops)) {
+			pr_notice_ratelimited("Route cache is full: consider increasing sysctl net.ipv6.route.max_size.\n");
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
 
 	dst = kmem_cache_alloc(ops->kmem_cachep, GFP_ATOMIC);
 	if (!dst)
diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index b41de3b7bddc..84115d550a1c 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static struct dst_entry *ip6_negative_advice(struct dst_entry *);
 static void		ip6_dst_destroy(struct dst_entry *);
 static void		ip6_dst_ifdown(struct dst_entry *,
 				       struct net_device *dev, int how);
-static void		 ip6_dst_gc(struct dst_ops *ops);
+static int		 ip6_dst_gc(struct dst_ops *ops);
 
 static int		ip6_pkt_discard(struct sk_buff *skb);
 static int		ip6_pkt_discard_out(struct net *net, struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb);
@@ -3184,20 +3184,22 @@ out:
 	return dst;
 }
 
-static void ip6_dst_gc(struct dst_ops *ops)
+static int ip6_dst_gc(struct dst_ops *ops)
 {
 	struct net *net = container_of(ops, struct net, ipv6.ip6_dst_ops);
 	int rt_min_interval = net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_min_interval;
+	int rt_max_size = net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_max_size;
 	int rt_elasticity = net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_elasticity;
 	int rt_gc_timeout = net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_timeout;
 	unsigned long rt_last_gc = net->ipv6.ip6_rt_last_gc;
 	int entries;
 
 	entries = dst_entries_get_fast(ops);
-	if (entries > ops->gc_thresh)
+	if (entries > rt_max_size)
 		entries = dst_entries_get_slow(ops);
 
-	if (time_after(rt_last_gc + rt_min_interval, jiffies))
+	if (time_after(rt_last_gc + rt_min_interval, jiffies) &&
+	    entries <= rt_max_size)
 		goto out;
 
 	net->ipv6.ip6_rt_gc_expire++;
@@ -3207,6 +3209,7 @@ static void ip6_dst_gc(struct dst_ops *ops)
 		net->ipv6.ip6_rt_gc_expire = rt_gc_timeout>>1;
 out:
 	net->ipv6.ip6_rt_gc_expire -= net->ipv6.ip6_rt_gc_expire>>rt_elasticity;
+	return entries > rt_max_size;
 }
 
 static int ip6_nh_lookup_table(struct net *net, struct fib6_config *cfg,
@@ -6317,7 +6320,7 @@ static int __net_init ip6_route_net_init(struct net *net)
 #endif
 
 	net->ipv6.sysctl.flush_delay = 0;
-	net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_max_size = INT_MAX;
+	net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_max_size = 4096;
 	net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_min_interval = HZ / 2;
 	net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_timeout = 60*HZ;
 	net->ipv6.sysctl.ip6_rt_gc_interval = 30*HZ;