diff --git a/net/batman-adv/main.c b/net/batman-adv/main.c
index 3ddd66e4c29e..a25c644acd6c 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/main.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/main.c
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ int batadv_mesh_init(struct net_device *soft_iface)
 	INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list);
 	INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&bat_priv->tp_list);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_BATMAN_ADV_NC
+	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&bat_priv->nc.work, batadv_nc_worker);
+#endif
+
 	bat_priv->gw.generation = 0;
 
 	ret = batadv_v_mesh_init(bat_priv);
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
index 9f06132e007d..eafd9936e021 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 static struct lock_class_key batadv_nc_coding_hash_lock_class_key;
 static struct lock_class_key batadv_nc_decoding_hash_lock_class_key;
 
-static void batadv_nc_worker(struct work_struct *work);
 static int batadv_nc_recv_coded_packet(struct sk_buff *skb,
 				       struct batadv_hard_iface *recv_if);
 
@@ -158,7 +157,6 @@ int batadv_nc_mesh_init(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv)
 	batadv_hash_set_lock_class(bat_priv->nc.decoding_hash,
 				   &batadv_nc_decoding_hash_lock_class_key);
 
-	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&bat_priv->nc.work, batadv_nc_worker);
 	batadv_nc_start_timer(bat_priv);
 
 	batadv_tvlv_handler_register(bat_priv, batadv_nc_tvlv_ogm_handler_v1,
@@ -707,7 +705,7 @@ batadv_nc_process_nc_paths(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
  *  coding
  * @work: kernel work struct
  */
-static void batadv_nc_worker(struct work_struct *work)
+void batadv_nc_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct delayed_work *delayed_work;
 	struct batadv_priv_nc *priv_nc;
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.h b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.h
index 368cc3130e4c..cfcd1223a92b 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.h
+++ b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ void batadv_nc_skb_store_for_decoding(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 				      struct sk_buff *skb);
 void batadv_nc_skb_store_sniffed_unicast(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 					 struct sk_buff *skb);
+void batadv_nc_worker(struct work_struct *work);
 
 #else /* ifdef CONFIG_BATMAN_ADV_NC */
 
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ static inline void batadv_nc_mesh_free(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv)
 {
 }
 
+static inline void batadv_nc_worker(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+}
+
 static inline void
 batadv_nc_update_nc_node(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 			 struct batadv_orig_node *orig_node,