diff --git a/sys/compat/linux/linux_netlink.c b/sys/compat/linux/linux_netlink.c
--- a/sys/compat/linux/linux_netlink.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linux/linux_netlink.c
@@ -550,22 +550,15 @@
 	}
 }
 
-static bool
-nlmsgs_to_linux(struct nl_writer *nw, struct nlpcb *nlp)
+static struct nl_buf *
+nlmsgs_to_linux(struct nl_buf *orig, struct nlpcb *nlp)
 {
-	struct nl_buf *nb, *orig;
-	u_int offset, msglen, orig_messages;
-
-	RT_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "%p: in %u bytes %u messages", __func__,
-	    nw->buf->datalen, nw->num_messages);
+	struct nl_writer nw;
+	u_int offset, msglen;
 
-	orig = nw->buf;
-	nb = nl_buf_alloc(orig->datalen + SCRATCH_BUFFER_SIZE, M_NOWAIT);
-	if (__predict_false(nb == NULL))
-		return (false);
-	nw->buf = nb;
-	orig_messages = nw->num_messages;
-	nw->num_messages = 0;
+	if (__predict_false(!nl_writer_unicast(&nw,
+	    orig->datalen + SCRATCH_BUFFER_SIZE, nlp, false)))
+		return (NULL);
 
 	/* Assume correct headers. Buffer IS mutable */
 	for (offset = 0;
@@ -574,22 +567,18 @@
 		struct nlmsghdr *hdr = (struct nlmsghdr *)&orig->data[offset];
 
 		msglen = NLMSG_ALIGN(hdr->nlmsg_len);
-		if (!nlmsg_to_linux(hdr, nlp, nw)) {
+		if (!nlmsg_to_linux(hdr, nlp, &nw)) {
 			RT_LOG(LOG_DEBUG, "failed to process msg type %d",
 			    hdr->nlmsg_type);
-			nl_buf_free(nb);
-			nw->buf = orig;
-			nw->num_messages = orig_messages;
-			return (false);
+			nl_buf_free(nw.buf);
+			return (NULL);
 		}
 	}
 
-	MPASS(nw->num_messages == orig_messages);
-	MPASS(nw->buf == nb);
-	nl_buf_free(orig);
-	RT_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "%p: out %u bytes", __func__, offset);
+	RT_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "%p: in %u bytes %u messages", __func__,
+	    nw.buf->datalen, nw.num_messages);
 
-	return (true);
+	return (nw.buf);
 }
 
 static struct linux_netlink_provider linux_netlink_v1 = {
diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c b/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
@@ -216,16 +216,17 @@
 		    hdr->nlmsg_len);
 	}
 
-	if (nlp->nl_linux && linux_netlink_p != NULL &&
-	    __predict_false(!linux_netlink_p->msgs_to_linux(nw, nlp))) {
+	if (nlp->nl_linux && linux_netlink_p != NULL) {
+		nb = linux_netlink_p->msgs_to_linux(nw->buf, nlp);
 		nl_buf_free(nw->buf);
 		nw->buf = NULL;
-		return (false);
+		if (nb == NULL)
+			return (false);
+	} else {
+		nb = nw->buf;
+		nw->buf = NULL;
 	}
 
-	nb = nw->buf;
-	nw->buf = NULL;
-
 	SOCK_RECVBUF_LOCK(so);
 	if (!nw->ignore_limit && __predict_false(sb->sb_hiwat <= sb->sb_ccc)) {
 		SOCK_RECVBUF_UNLOCK(so);
diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_linux.h b/sys/netlink/netlink_linux.h
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_linux.h
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_linux.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 struct nl_pstate;
 struct nl_writer;
 
-typedef bool msgs_to_linux_cb_t(struct nl_writer *nw, struct nlpcb *nlp);
+typedef struct nl_buf * msgs_to_linux_cb_t(struct nl_buf *, struct nlpcb *);
 typedef int msg_from_linux_cb_t(int netlink_family, struct nlmsghdr **hdr,
     struct nl_pstate *npt);