diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 17e95e37aed902de1fd81dc5ae9c524468406d25..c4fedf000541ee4d5759c5e054c6a91626c66061 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -2130,8 +2130,8 @@ extern void		netdev_features_change(struct net_device *dev);
 /* Load a device via the kmod */
 extern void		dev_load(struct net *net, const char *name);
 extern void		dev_mcast_init(void);
-extern const struct rtnl_link_stats64 *dev_get_stats(struct net_device *dev,
-						     struct rtnl_link_stats64 *storage);
+extern struct rtnl_link_stats64 *dev_get_stats(struct net_device *dev,
+					       struct rtnl_link_stats64 *storage);
 extern void		dev_txq_stats_fold(const struct net_device *dev,
 					   struct rtnl_link_stats64 *stats);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 79ee26ef5095ddd7742e1ec7f1e4eb5cd8e2b2ce..e2b9fa2c917e1ccc99a7444b298270185acf5e35 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5323,13 +5323,13 @@ static void netdev_stats_to_stats64(struct rtnl_link_stats64 *stats64,
  *	@dev: device to get statistics from
  *	@storage: place to store stats
  *
- *	Get network statistics from device. The device driver may provide
- *	its own method by setting dev->netdev_ops->get_stats64 or
- *	dev->netdev_ops->get_stats; otherwise the internal statistics
- *	structure is used.
+ *	Get network statistics from device. Return @storage.
+ *	The device driver may provide its own method by setting
+ *	dev->netdev_ops->get_stats64 or dev->netdev_ops->get_stats;
+ *	otherwise the internal statistics structure is used.
  */
-const struct rtnl_link_stats64 *dev_get_stats(struct net_device *dev,
-					      struct rtnl_link_stats64 *storage)
+struct rtnl_link_stats64 *dev_get_stats(struct net_device *dev,
+					struct rtnl_link_stats64 *storage)
 {
 	const struct net_device_ops *ops = dev->netdev_ops;