diff --git a/net/sched/sch_netem.c b/net/sched/sch_netem.c
index 942eb17f413c48309de85511f54d7813ecb9475e..42e557d48e4e3f85ef9f6edc3c3bbe3c4df6eacd 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_netem.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_netem.c
@@ -616,6 +616,8 @@ static int netem_enqueue(struct sk_buff *skb, struct Qdisc *sch,
 		}
 		/* Parent qdiscs accounted for 1 skb of size @prev_len */
 		qdisc_tree_reduce_backlog(sch, -(nb - 1), -(len - prev_len));
+	} else if (!skb) {
+		return NET_XMIT_DROP;
 	}
 	return NET_XMIT_SUCCESS;
 }