diff --git a/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c b/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
--- a/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
@@ -2496,6 +2496,7 @@
 	struct ip6_pktopts *opt = *pktopt;
 	int error = 0;
 	struct thread *td = sopt->sopt_td;
+	struct epoch_tracker et;
 
 	/* turn off any old options. */
 	if (opt) {
@@ -2523,12 +2524,15 @@
 	}
 
 	/*  set options specified by user. */
+	NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 	if ((error = ip6_setpktopts(m, opt, NULL, (td != NULL) ?
 	    td->td_ucred : NULL, so->so_proto->pr_protocol)) != 0) {
 		ip6_clearpktopts(opt, -1); /* XXX: discard all options */
 		free(opt, M_IP6OPT);
+		NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
 		return (error);
 	}
+	NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
 	*pktopt = opt;
 	return (0);
 }
@@ -2824,6 +2828,12 @@
 	if (control == NULL || opt == NULL)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
+	/*
+	 * ip6_setpktopt can call ifnet_by_index(), so it's imperative that we are
+	 * in the net epoch here.
+	 */
+	NET_EPOCH_ASSERT();
+
 	ip6_initpktopts(opt);
 	if (stickyopt) {
 		int error;
diff --git a/sys/netinet6/raw_ip6.c b/sys/netinet6/raw_ip6.c
--- a/sys/netinet6/raw_ip6.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/raw_ip6.c
@@ -417,9 +417,13 @@
 	INP_WLOCK(inp);
 
 	if (control != NULL) {
-		if ((error = ip6_setpktopts(control, &opt,
+		NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
+		error = ip6_setpktopts(control, &opt,
 		    inp->in6p_outputopts, so->so_cred,
-		    so->so_proto->pr_protocol)) != 0) {
+		    so->so_proto->pr_protocol);
+		NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
+
+		if (error != 0) {
 			goto bad;
 		}
 		optp = &opt;
diff --git a/sys/netinet6/udp6_usrreq.c b/sys/netinet6/udp6_usrreq.c
--- a/sys/netinet6/udp6_usrreq.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/udp6_usrreq.c
@@ -810,21 +810,16 @@
 		return (EINVAL);
 	}
 
+	NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 	if (control) {
 		if ((error = ip6_setpktopts(control, &opt,
 		    inp->in6p_outputopts, td->td_ucred, nxt)) != 0) {
-			INP_UNLOCK(inp);
-			ip6_clearpktopts(&opt, -1);
-			if (control)
-				m_freem(control);
-			m_freem(m);
-			return (error);
+			goto release;
 		}
 		optp = &opt;
 	} else
 		optp = inp->in6p_outputopts;
 
-	NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 	if (sin6) {
 		/*
 		 * Since we saw no essential reason for calling in_pcbconnect,