diff --git a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
index 2ab45e3f48bf..7d519a46a844 100644
--- a/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
+++ b/net/l2tp/l2tp_core.c
@@ -820,13 +820,8 @@ static int l2tp_udp_recv_core(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	/* Get L2TP header flags */
 	hdrflags = ntohs(*(__be16 *)ptr);
 
-	/* Check protocol version */
+	/* Get protocol version */
 	version = hdrflags & L2TP_HDR_VER_MASK;
-	if (version != tunnel->version) {
-		pr_debug_ratelimited("%s: recv protocol version mismatch: got %d expected %d\n",
-				     tunnel->name, version, tunnel->version);
-		goto invalid;
-	}
 
 	/* Get length of L2TP packet */
 	length = skb->len;
@@ -838,7 +833,7 @@ static int l2tp_udp_recv_core(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	/* Skip flags */
 	ptr += 2;
 
-	if (tunnel->version == L2TP_HDR_VER_2) {
+	if (version == L2TP_HDR_VER_2) {
 		/* If length is present, skip it */
 		if (hdrflags & L2TP_HDRFLAG_L)
 			ptr += 2;
@@ -855,7 +850,7 @@ static int l2tp_udp_recv_core(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct sk_buff *skb)
 			struct l2tp_tunnel *alt_tunnel;
 
 			alt_tunnel = l2tp_tunnel_get(tunnel->l2tp_net, tunnel_id);
-			if (!alt_tunnel || alt_tunnel->version != L2TP_HDR_VER_2)
+			if (!alt_tunnel)
 				goto pass;
 			tunnel = alt_tunnel;
 		}
@@ -869,6 +864,13 @@ static int l2tp_udp_recv_core(struct l2tp_tunnel *tunnel, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		ptr += 4;
 	}
 
+	/* Check protocol version */
+	if (version != tunnel->version) {
+		pr_debug_ratelimited("%s: recv protocol version mismatch: got %d expected %d\n",
+				     tunnel->name, version, tunnel->version);
+		goto invalid;
+	}
+
 	/* Find the session context */
 	session = l2tp_tunnel_get_session(tunnel, session_id);
 	if (!session || !session->recv_skb) {