diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index 4ef4bbdb49d4..b9df5f8f1199 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -2951,9 +2951,6 @@ static struct fib6_info *ip6_route_info_create(struct fib6_config *cfg,
 			goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (cfg->fc_metric == 0)
-		cfg->fc_metric = IP6_RT_PRIO_USER;
-
 	if (cfg->fc_flags & RTNH_F_ONLINK) {
 		if (!dev) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack,
@@ -3604,7 +3601,7 @@ static void rtmsg_to_fib6_config(struct net *net,
 		.fc_table = l3mdev_fib_table_by_index(net, rtmsg->rtmsg_ifindex) ?
 			 : RT6_TABLE_MAIN,
 		.fc_ifindex = rtmsg->rtmsg_ifindex,
-		.fc_metric = rtmsg->rtmsg_metric,
+		.fc_metric = rtmsg->rtmsg_metric ? : IP6_RT_PRIO_USER,
 		.fc_expires = rtmsg->rtmsg_info,
 		.fc_dst_len = rtmsg->rtmsg_dst_len,
 		.fc_src_len = rtmsg->rtmsg_src_len,
@@ -4524,6 +4521,9 @@ static int inet6_rtm_newroute(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh,
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
+	if (cfg.fc_metric == 0)
+		cfg.fc_metric = IP6_RT_PRIO_USER;
+
 	if (cfg.fc_mp)
 		return ip6_route_multipath_add(&cfg, extack);
 	else