diff --git a/net/batman-adv/bat_v.c b/net/batman-adv/bat_v.c
index ac11f1f08db0f93bdaee81a2ce8822a6eda8db04..d35479c465e2c4868be4f7ec02f8626e54c1bb92 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/bat_v.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/bat_v.c
@@ -113,8 +113,6 @@ static void
 batadv_v_hardif_neigh_init(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *hardif_neigh)
 {
 	ewma_throughput_init(&hardif_neigh->bat_v.throughput);
-	INIT_WORK(&hardif_neigh->bat_v.metric_work,
-		  batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.c b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.c
index 65e52de52bcd2688e0ed33cd8605821b17f5a63b..b065578b4436ee6b173e1201b0ad68af9c250f3b 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <linux/if_ether.h>
 #include <linux/jiffies.h>
 #include <linux/kref.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/minmax.h>
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 #include <linux/nl80211.h>
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <linux/rcupdate.h>
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
 #include <linux/skbuff.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/stddef.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
@@ -41,6 +43,18 @@
 #include "routing.h"
 #include "send.h"
 
+/**
+ * struct batadv_v_metric_queue_entry - list of hardif neighbors which require
+ *  and metric update
+ */
+struct batadv_v_metric_queue_entry {
+	/** @hardif_neigh: hardif neighbor scheduled for metric update */
+	struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *hardif_neigh;
+
+	/** @list: list node for metric_queue */
+	struct list_head list;
+};
+
 /**
  * batadv_v_elp_start_timer() - restart timer for ELP periodic work
  * @hard_iface: the interface for which the timer has to be reset
@@ -137,10 +151,17 @@ static bool batadv_v_elp_get_throughput(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *neigh,
 		goto default_throughput;
 	}
 
+	/* only use rtnl_trylock because the elp worker will be cancelled while
+	 * the rntl_lock is held. the cancel_delayed_work_sync() would otherwise
+	 * wait forever when the elp work_item was started and it is then also
+	 * trying to rtnl_lock
+	 */
+	if (!rtnl_trylock())
+		return false;
+
 	/* if not a wifi interface, check if this device provides data via
 	 * ethtool (e.g. an Ethernet adapter)
 	 */
-	rtnl_lock();
 	ret = __ethtool_get_link_ksettings(hard_iface->net_dev, &link_settings);
 	rtnl_unlock();
 	if (ret == 0) {
@@ -175,31 +196,19 @@ static bool batadv_v_elp_get_throughput(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *neigh,
 /**
  * batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update() - worker updating the throughput
  *  metric of a single hop neighbour
- * @work: the work queue item
+ * @neigh: the neighbour to probe
  */
-void batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update(struct work_struct *work)
+static void
+batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *neigh)
 {
-	struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node_bat_v *neigh_bat_v;
-	struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *neigh;
 	u32 throughput;
 	bool valid;
 
-	neigh_bat_v = container_of(work, struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node_bat_v,
-				   metric_work);
-	neigh = container_of(neigh_bat_v, struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node,
-			     bat_v);
-
 	valid = batadv_v_elp_get_throughput(neigh, &throughput);
 	if (!valid)
-		goto put_neigh;
+		return;
 
 	ewma_throughput_add(&neigh->bat_v.throughput, throughput);
-
-put_neigh:
-	/* decrement refcounter to balance increment performed before scheduling
-	 * this task
-	 */
-	batadv_hardif_neigh_put(neigh);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -273,14 +282,16 @@ batadv_v_elp_wifi_neigh_probe(struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *neigh)
  */
 static void batadv_v_elp_periodic_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
+	struct batadv_v_metric_queue_entry *metric_entry;
+	struct batadv_v_metric_queue_entry *metric_safe;
 	struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node *hardif_neigh;
 	struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface;
 	struct batadv_hard_iface_bat_v *bat_v;
 	struct batadv_elp_packet *elp_packet;
+	struct list_head metric_queue;
 	struct batadv_priv *bat_priv;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
 	u32 elp_interval;
-	bool ret;
 
 	bat_v = container_of(work, struct batadv_hard_iface_bat_v, elp_wq.work);
 	hard_iface = container_of(bat_v, struct batadv_hard_iface, bat_v);
@@ -316,6 +327,8 @@ static void batadv_v_elp_periodic_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	atomic_inc(&hard_iface->bat_v.elp_seqno);
 
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&metric_queue);
+
 	/* The throughput metric is updated on each sent packet. This way, if a
 	 * node is dead and no longer sends packets, batman-adv is still able to
 	 * react timely to its death.
@@ -340,16 +353,28 @@ static void batadv_v_elp_periodic_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 		/* Reading the estimated throughput from cfg80211 is a task that
 		 * may sleep and that is not allowed in an rcu protected
-		 * context. Therefore schedule a task for that.
+		 * context. Therefore add it to metric_queue and process it
+		 * outside rcu protected context.
 		 */
-		ret = queue_work(batadv_event_workqueue,
-				 &hardif_neigh->bat_v.metric_work);
-
-		if (!ret)
+		metric_entry = kzalloc(sizeof(*metric_entry), GFP_ATOMIC);
+		if (!metric_entry) {
 			batadv_hardif_neigh_put(hardif_neigh);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		metric_entry->hardif_neigh = hardif_neigh;
+		list_add(&metric_entry->list, &metric_queue);
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(metric_entry, metric_safe, &metric_queue, list) {
+		batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update(metric_entry->hardif_neigh);
+
+		batadv_hardif_neigh_put(metric_entry->hardif_neigh);
+		list_del(&metric_entry->list);
+		kfree(metric_entry);
+	}
+
 restart_timer:
 	batadv_v_elp_start_timer(hard_iface);
 out:
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.h b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.h
index 9e2740195fa2d44471c9067838384f0801c7057a..c9cb0a30710045729a49921c96011d59ed67120f 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.h
+++ b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_elp.h
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #include "main.h"
 
 #include <linux/skbuff.h>
-#include <linux/workqueue.h>
 
 int batadv_v_elp_iface_enable(struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface);
 void batadv_v_elp_iface_disable(struct batadv_hard_iface *hard_iface);
@@ -19,6 +18,5 @@ void batadv_v_elp_iface_activate(struct batadv_hard_iface *primary_iface,
 void batadv_v_elp_primary_iface_set(struct batadv_hard_iface *primary_iface);
 int batadv_v_elp_packet_recv(struct sk_buff *skb,
 			     struct batadv_hard_iface *if_incoming);
-void batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update(struct work_struct *work);
 
 #endif /* _NET_BATMAN_ADV_BAT_V_ELP_H_ */
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/types.h b/net/batman-adv/types.h
index f491bff8c51b8bf68eb11dbbeb1a434d446c25f0..fe89f08533fe694e137bf31594c60915d4783c7a 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/types.h
+++ b/net/batman-adv/types.h
@@ -596,9 +596,6 @@ struct batadv_hardif_neigh_node_bat_v {
 	 *  neighbor
 	 */
 	unsigned long last_unicast_tx;
-
-	/** @metric_work: work queue callback item for metric update */
-	struct work_struct metric_work;
 };
 
 /**
