diff --git a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
index 9d7c99394ec..640f65c6ef8 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
@@ -1752,12 +1752,12 @@ static int comedi_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	mutex_lock(&dev->mutex);
 	if (dev->attached)
 		goto ok;
-	if (!capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE) && dev->in_request_module) {
+	if (!capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN) && dev->in_request_module) {
 		DPRINTK("in request module\n");
 		mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
-	if (capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE) && dev->in_request_module)
+	if (capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN) && dev->in_request_module)
 		goto ok;
 
 	dev->in_request_module = 1;
@@ -1770,8 +1770,8 @@ static int comedi_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	dev->in_request_module = 0;
 
-	if (!dev->attached && !capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE)) {
-		DPRINTK("not attached and not CAP_SYS_MODULE\n");
+	if (!dev->attached && !capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)) {
+		DPRINTK("not attached and not CAP_NET_ADMIN\n");
 		mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 6a94475aee8..278d489aad3 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ void dev_load(struct net *net, const char *name)
 	dev = __dev_get_by_name(net, name);
 	read_unlock(&dev_base_lock);
 
-	if (!dev && capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE))
+	if (!dev && capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN))
 		request_module("%s", name);
 }
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_cong.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_cong.c
index e92beb9e55e..6428b342b16 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_cong.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_cong.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ int tcp_set_default_congestion_control(const char *name)
 	spin_lock(&tcp_cong_list_lock);
 	ca = tcp_ca_find(name);
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
-	if (!ca && capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE)) {
+	if (!ca && capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)) {
 		spin_unlock(&tcp_cong_list_lock);
 
 		request_module("tcp_%s", name);
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ int tcp_set_congestion_control(struct sock *sk, const char *name)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
 	/* not found attempt to autoload module */
-	if (!ca && capable(CAP_SYS_MODULE)) {
+	if (!ca && capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)) {
 		rcu_read_unlock();
 		request_module("tcp_%s", name);
 		rcu_read_lock();