diff --git a/drivers/net/veth.c b/drivers/net/veth.c
index 9980517ed8b0..ac030c241d1a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/veth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/veth.c
@@ -1506,25 +1506,12 @@ static void veth_free_queues(struct net_device *dev)
 
 static int veth_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	int err;
-
-	dev->lstats = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct pcpu_lstats);
-	if (!dev->lstats)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
-	err = veth_alloc_queues(dev);
-	if (err) {
-		free_percpu(dev->lstats);
-		return err;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
+	return veth_alloc_queues(dev);
 }
 
 static void veth_dev_free(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	veth_free_queues(dev);
-	free_percpu(dev->lstats);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_POLL_CONTROLLER
@@ -1796,6 +1783,7 @@ static void veth_setup(struct net_device *dev)
 			       NETIF_F_HW_VLAN_STAG_RX);
 	dev->needs_free_netdev = true;
 	dev->priv_destructor = veth_dev_free;
+	dev->pcpu_stat_type = NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_LSTATS;
 	dev->max_mtu = ETH_MAX_MTU;
 
 	dev->hw_features = VETH_FEATURES;
diff --git a/drivers/net/vrf.c b/drivers/net/vrf.c
index 3e6e0fdc3ba7..bb95ce43cd97 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vrf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vrf.c
@@ -1164,22 +1164,15 @@ static void vrf_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	vrf_rtable_release(dev, vrf);
 	vrf_rt6_release(dev, vrf);
-
-	free_percpu(dev->dstats);
-	dev->dstats = NULL;
 }
 
 static int vrf_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct net_vrf *vrf = netdev_priv(dev);
 
-	dev->dstats = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct pcpu_dstats);
-	if (!dev->dstats)
-		goto out_nomem;
-
 	/* create the default dst which points back to us */
 	if (vrf_rtable_create(dev) != 0)
-		goto out_stats;
+		goto out_nomem;
 
 	if (vrf_rt6_create(dev) != 0)
 		goto out_rth;
@@ -1193,9 +1186,6 @@ static int vrf_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 
 out_rth:
 	vrf_rtable_release(dev, vrf);
-out_stats:
-	free_percpu(dev->dstats);
-	dev->dstats = NULL;
 out_nomem:
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }
@@ -1694,6 +1684,8 @@ static void vrf_setup(struct net_device *dev)
 	dev->min_mtu = IPV6_MIN_MTU;
 	dev->max_mtu = IP6_MAX_MTU;
 	dev->mtu = dev->max_mtu;
+
+	dev->pcpu_stat_type = NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_DSTATS;
 }
 
 static int vrf_validate(struct nlattr *tb[], struct nlattr *data[],
diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 98082113156e..2564e209465e 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -1797,6 +1797,13 @@ enum netdev_ml_priv_type {
 	ML_PRIV_CAN,
 };
 
+enum netdev_stat_type {
+	NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_NONE,
+	NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_LSTATS, /* struct pcpu_lstats */
+	NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_TSTATS, /* struct pcpu_sw_netstats */
+	NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_DSTATS, /* struct pcpu_dstats */
+};
+
 /**
  *	struct net_device - The DEVICE structure.
  *
@@ -1991,10 +1998,14 @@ enum netdev_ml_priv_type {
  *
  * 	@ml_priv:	Mid-layer private
  *	@ml_priv_type:  Mid-layer private type
- * 	@lstats:	Loopback statistics
- * 	@tstats:	Tunnel statistics
- * 	@dstats:	Dummy statistics
- * 	@vstats:	Virtual ethernet statistics
+ *
+ *	@pcpu_stat_type:	Type of device statistics which the core should
+ *				allocate/free: none, lstats, tstats, dstats. none
+ *				means the driver is handling statistics allocation/
+ *				freeing internally.
+ *	@lstats:		Loopback statistics: packets, bytes
+ *	@tstats:		Tunnel statistics: RX/TX packets, RX/TX bytes
+ *	@dstats:		Dummy statistics: RX/TX/drop packets, RX/TX bytes
  *
  *	@garp_port:	GARP
  *	@mrp_port:	MRP
@@ -2354,6 +2365,7 @@ struct net_device {
 	void				*ml_priv;
 	enum netdev_ml_priv_type	ml_priv_type;
 
+	enum netdev_stat_type		pcpu_stat_type:8;
 	union {
 		struct pcpu_lstats __percpu		*lstats;
 		struct pcpu_sw_netstats __percpu	*tstats;
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index af53f6d838ce..0cc6e283edba 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -10051,6 +10051,46 @@ void netif_tx_stop_all_queues(struct net_device *dev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(netif_tx_stop_all_queues);
 
+static int netdev_do_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	void __percpu *v;
+
+	switch (dev->pcpu_stat_type) {
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_NONE:
+		return 0;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_LSTATS:
+		v = dev->lstats = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct pcpu_lstats);
+		break;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_TSTATS:
+		v = dev->tstats = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct pcpu_sw_netstats);
+		break;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_DSTATS:
+		v = dev->dstats = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct pcpu_dstats);
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return v ? 0 : -ENOMEM;
+}
+
+static void netdev_do_free_pcpu_stats(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	switch (dev->pcpu_stat_type) {
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_NONE:
+		return;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_LSTATS:
+		free_percpu(dev->lstats);
+		break;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_TSTATS:
+		free_percpu(dev->tstats);
+		break;
+	case NETDEV_PCPU_STAT_DSTATS:
+		free_percpu(dev->dstats);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * register_netdevice() - register a network device
  * @dev: device to register
@@ -10111,9 +10151,13 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 		goto err_uninit;
 	}
 
+	ret = netdev_do_alloc_pcpu_stats(dev);
+	if (ret)
+		goto err_uninit;
+
 	ret = dev_index_reserve(net, dev->ifindex);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err_uninit;
+		goto err_free_pcpu;
 	dev->ifindex = ret;
 
 	/* Transfer changeable features to wanted_features and enable
@@ -10219,6 +10263,8 @@ err_uninit_notify:
 	call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_PRE_UNINIT, dev);
 err_ifindex_release:
 	dev_index_release(net, dev->ifindex);
+err_free_pcpu:
+	netdev_do_free_pcpu_stats(dev);
 err_uninit:
 	if (dev->netdev_ops->ndo_uninit)
 		dev->netdev_ops->ndo_uninit(dev);
@@ -10471,6 +10517,7 @@ void netdev_run_todo(void)
 		WARN_ON(rcu_access_pointer(dev->ip_ptr));
 		WARN_ON(rcu_access_pointer(dev->ip6_ptr));
 
+		netdev_do_free_pcpu_stats(dev);
 		if (dev->priv_destructor)
 			dev->priv_destructor(dev);
 		if (dev->needs_free_netdev)