diff --git a/include/net/xfrm.h b/include/net/xfrm.h
index afa5730fb3bd..5313ccfdeedf 100644
--- a/include/net/xfrm.h
+++ b/include/net/xfrm.h
@@ -594,6 +594,7 @@ struct xfrm_mgr {
 					   const struct xfrm_migrate *m,
 					   int num_bundles,
 					   const struct xfrm_kmaddress *k);
+	bool			(*is_alive)(const struct km_event *c);
 };
 
 int xfrm_register_km(struct xfrm_mgr *km);
@@ -1646,6 +1647,20 @@ static inline int xfrm_aevent_is_on(struct net *net)
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return ret;
 }
+
+static inline int xfrm_acquire_is_on(struct net *net)
+{
+	struct sock *nlsk;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	nlsk = rcu_dereference(net->xfrm.nlsk);
+	if (nlsk)
+		ret = netlink_has_listeners(nlsk, XFRMNLGRP_ACQUIRE);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return ret;
+}
 #endif
 
 static inline int xfrm_alg_len(const struct xfrm_algo *alg)
diff --git a/net/key/af_key.c b/net/key/af_key.c
index 1a04c1329362..e1c69d024197 100644
--- a/net/key/af_key.c
+++ b/net/key/af_key.c
@@ -3059,6 +3059,24 @@ static u32 get_acqseq(void)
 	return res;
 }
 
+static bool pfkey_is_alive(const struct km_event *c)
+{
+	struct netns_pfkey *net_pfkey = net_generic(c->net, pfkey_net_id);
+	struct sock *sk;
+	bool is_alive = false;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	sk_for_each_rcu(sk, &net_pfkey->table) {
+		if (pfkey_sk(sk)->registered) {
+			is_alive = true;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return is_alive;
+}
+
 static int pfkey_send_acquire(struct xfrm_state *x, struct xfrm_tmpl *t, struct xfrm_policy *xp)
 {
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
@@ -3784,6 +3802,7 @@ static struct xfrm_mgr pfkeyv2_mgr =
 	.new_mapping	= pfkey_send_new_mapping,
 	.notify_policy	= pfkey_send_policy_notify,
 	.migrate	= pfkey_send_migrate,
+	.is_alive	= pfkey_is_alive,
 };
 
 static int __net_init pfkey_net_init(struct net *net)
diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
index a26b7aa79475..0bf12f665b9b 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(xfrm_state_gc_lock);
 int __xfrm_state_delete(struct xfrm_state *x);
 
 int km_query(struct xfrm_state *x, struct xfrm_tmpl *t, struct xfrm_policy *pol);
+bool km_is_alive(const struct km_event *c);
 void km_state_expired(struct xfrm_state *x, int hard, u32 portid);
 
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(xfrm_type_lock);
@@ -788,6 +789,7 @@ xfrm_state_find(const xfrm_address_t *daddr, const xfrm_address_t *saddr,
 	struct xfrm_state *best = NULL;
 	u32 mark = pol->mark.v & pol->mark.m;
 	unsigned short encap_family = tmpl->encap_family;
+	struct km_event c;
 
 	to_put = NULL;
 
@@ -832,6 +834,17 @@ xfrm_state_find(const xfrm_address_t *daddr, const xfrm_address_t *saddr,
 			error = -EEXIST;
 			goto out;
 		}
+
+		c.net = net;
+		/* If the KMs have no listeners (yet...), avoid allocating an SA
+		 * for each and every packet - garbage collection might not
+		 * handle the flood.
+		 */
+		if (!km_is_alive(&c)) {
+			error = -ESRCH;
+			goto out;
+		}
+
 		x = xfrm_state_alloc(net);
 		if (x == NULL) {
 			error = -ENOMEM;
@@ -1793,6 +1806,24 @@ int km_report(struct net *net, u8 proto, struct xfrm_selector *sel, xfrm_address
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(km_report);
 
+bool km_is_alive(const struct km_event *c)
+{
+	struct xfrm_mgr *km;
+	bool is_alive = false;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	list_for_each_entry_rcu(km, &xfrm_km_list, list) {
+		if (km->is_alive && km->is_alive(c)) {
+			is_alive = true;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return is_alive;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(km_is_alive);
+
 int xfrm_user_policy(struct sock *sk, int optname, u8 __user *optval, int optlen)
 {
 	int err;
diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c
index ade9988f6e33..d7694f258294 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c
@@ -2982,6 +2982,11 @@ static int xfrm_send_mapping(struct xfrm_state *x, xfrm_address_t *ipaddr,
 	return nlmsg_multicast(net->xfrm.nlsk, skb, 0, XFRMNLGRP_MAPPING, GFP_ATOMIC);
 }
 
+static bool xfrm_is_alive(const struct km_event *c)
+{
+	return (bool)xfrm_acquire_is_on(c->net);
+}
+
 static struct xfrm_mgr netlink_mgr = {
 	.id		= "netlink",
 	.notify		= xfrm_send_state_notify,
@@ -2991,6 +2996,7 @@ static struct xfrm_mgr netlink_mgr = {
 	.report		= xfrm_send_report,
 	.migrate	= xfrm_send_migrate,
 	.new_mapping	= xfrm_send_mapping,
+	.is_alive	= xfrm_is_alive,
 };
 
 static int __net_init xfrm_user_net_init(struct net *net)