diff --git a/include/net/mptcp.h b/include/net/mptcp.h
index 3214848402ec..1120363987d0 100644
--- a/include/net/mptcp.h
+++ b/include/net/mptcp.h
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ struct mptcp_out_options {
 };
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MPTCP
-extern struct request_sock_ops mptcp_subflow_request_sock_ops;
-
 void mptcp_init(void);
 
 static inline bool sk_is_mptcp(const struct sock *sk)
@@ -182,6 +180,9 @@ void mptcp_seq_show(struct seq_file *seq);
 int mptcp_subflow_init_cookie_req(struct request_sock *req,
 				  const struct sock *sk_listener,
 				  struct sk_buff *skb);
+struct request_sock *mptcp_subflow_reqsk_alloc(const struct request_sock_ops *ops,
+					       struct sock *sk_listener,
+					       bool attach_listener);
 
 __be32 mptcp_get_reset_option(const struct sk_buff *skb);
 
@@ -274,6 +275,13 @@ static inline int mptcp_subflow_init_cookie_req(struct request_sock *req,
 	return 0; /* TCP fallback */
 }
 
+static inline struct request_sock *mptcp_subflow_reqsk_alloc(const struct request_sock_ops *ops,
+							     struct sock *sk_listener,
+							     bool attach_listener)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static inline __be32 mptcp_reset_option(const struct sk_buff *skb)  { return htonl(0u); }
 #endif /* CONFIG_MPTCP */
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/syncookies.c b/net/ipv4/syncookies.c
index 940839264025..3aab914eb103 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/syncookies.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/syncookies.c
@@ -290,12 +290,11 @@ struct request_sock *cookie_tcp_reqsk_alloc(const struct request_sock_ops *ops,
 	struct tcp_request_sock *treq;
 	struct request_sock *req;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MPTCP
 	if (sk_is_mptcp(sk))
-		ops = &mptcp_subflow_request_sock_ops;
-#endif
+		req = mptcp_subflow_reqsk_alloc(ops, sk, false);
+	else
+		req = inet_reqsk_alloc(ops, sk, false);
 
-	req = inet_reqsk_alloc(ops, sk, false);
 	if (!req)
 		return NULL;
 
diff --git a/net/mptcp/subflow.c b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
index b02ba1b9487b..7a5d816ad47e 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/subflow.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ do_reset:
 	mptcp_subflow_reset(sk);
 }
 
-struct request_sock_ops mptcp_subflow_request_sock_ops;
+static struct request_sock_ops mptcp_subflow_request_sock_ops __ro_after_init;
 static struct tcp_request_sock_ops subflow_request_sock_ipv4_ops __ro_after_init;
 
 static int subflow_v4_conn_request(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb)
@@ -536,6 +536,16 @@ drop:
 }
 #endif
 
+struct request_sock *mptcp_subflow_reqsk_alloc(const struct request_sock_ops *ops,
+					       struct sock *sk_listener,
+					       bool attach_listener)
+{
+	ops = &mptcp_subflow_request_sock_ops;
+
+	return inet_reqsk_alloc(ops, sk_listener, attach_listener);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(mptcp_subflow_reqsk_alloc);
+
 /* validate hmac received in third ACK */
 static bool subflow_hmac_valid(const struct request_sock *req,
 			       const struct mptcp_options_received *mp_opt)