diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
index 60fd91bb5171c..c314fdde0097c 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_output.c
@@ -547,7 +547,20 @@ int ip6_forward(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	    pneigh_lookup(&nd_tbl, net, &hdr->daddr, skb->dev, 0)) {
 		int proxied = ip6_forward_proxy_check(skb);
 		if (proxied > 0) {
-			hdr->hop_limit--;
+			/* It's tempting to decrease the hop limit
+			 * here by 1, as we do at the end of the
+			 * function too.
+			 *
+			 * But that would be incorrect, as proxying is
+			 * not forwarding.  The ip6_input function
+			 * will handle this packet locally, and it
+			 * depends on the hop limit being unchanged.
+			 *
+			 * One example is the NDP hop limit, that
+			 * always has to stay 255, but other would be
+			 * similar checks around RA packets, where the
+			 * user can even change the desired limit.
+			 */
 			return ip6_input(skb);
 		} else if (proxied < 0) {
 			__IP6_INC_STATS(net, idev, IPSTATS_MIB_INDISCARDS);