diff --git a/sys/netinet6/nd6_rtr.c b/sys/netinet6/nd6_rtr.c
index 03442745f96..f90a28e9709 100644
--- a/sys/netinet6/nd6_rtr.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/nd6_rtr.c
@@ -1974,6 +1974,7 @@ nd6_prefix_onlink_rtrequest(struct nd_prefix *pr, struct ifaddr *ifa)
 int
 nd6_prefix_onlink(struct nd_prefix *pr)
 {
+	struct epoch_tracker et;
 	struct ifaddr *ifa;
 	struct ifnet *ifp = pr->ndpr_ifp;
 	struct nd_prefix *opr;
@@ -2018,22 +2019,20 @@ nd6_prefix_onlink(struct nd_prefix *pr)
 	 * We prefer link-local addresses as the associated interface address.
 	 */
 	/* search for a link-local addr */
+	NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 	ifa = (struct ifaddr *)in6ifa_ifpforlinklocal(ifp,
 	    IN6_IFF_NOTREADY | IN6_IFF_ANYCAST);
 	if (ifa == NULL) {
-		struct epoch_tracker et;
-
 		/* XXX: freebsd does not have ifa_ifwithaf */
-		NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 		CK_STAILQ_FOREACH(ifa, &ifp->if_addrhead, ifa_link) {
 			if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family == AF_INET6) {
 				ifa_ref(ifa);
 				break;
 			}
 		}
-		NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
 		/* should we care about ia6_flags? */
 	}
+	NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
 	if (ifa == NULL) {
 		/*
 		 * This can still happen, when, for example, we receive an RA