diff --git a/net/batman-adv/tp_meter.c b/net/batman-adv/tp_meter.c
index 62b855a8292b..0a13aa503745 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/tp_meter.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/tp_meter.c
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@
 #define BATADV_TP_PLEN (BATADV_TP_PACKET_LEN - ETH_HLEN - \
 			sizeof(struct batadv_unicast_packet))
 
+/**
+ * BATADV_TP_MAX_UNACKED - maximum number of packets a receiver didn't yet ack
+ */
+#define BATADV_TP_MAX_UNACKED 100
+
 static u8 batadv_tp_prerandom[4096] __read_mostly;
 
 /**
@@ -1212,6 +1217,7 @@ static void batadv_tp_receiver_shutdown(struct timer_list *t)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(un, safe, &tp_vars->unacked_list, list) {
 		list_del(&un->list);
 		kfree(un);
+		tp_vars->unacked_count--;
 	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&tp_vars->unacked_lock);
 
@@ -1324,6 +1330,7 @@ static bool batadv_tp_handle_out_of_order(struct batadv_tp_vars *tp_vars,
 	/* if the list is empty immediately attach this new object */
 	if (list_empty(&tp_vars->unacked_list)) {
 		list_add(&new->list, &tp_vars->unacked_list);
+		tp_vars->unacked_count++;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1354,12 +1361,24 @@ static bool batadv_tp_handle_out_of_order(struct batadv_tp_vars *tp_vars,
 		 */
 		list_add(&new->list, &un->list);
 		added = true;
+		tp_vars->unacked_count++;
 		break;
 	}
 
 	/* received packet with smallest seqno out of order; add it to front */
-	if (!added)
+	if (!added) {
 		list_add(&new->list, &tp_vars->unacked_list);
+		tp_vars->unacked_count++;
+	}
+
+	/* remove the last (biggest) unacked seqno when list is too large */
+	if (tp_vars->unacked_count > BATADV_TP_MAX_UNACKED) {
+		un = list_last_entry(&tp_vars->unacked_list,
+				     struct batadv_tp_unacked, list);
+		list_del(&un->list);
+		kfree(un);
+		tp_vars->unacked_count--;
+	}
 
 out:
 	spin_unlock_bh(&tp_vars->unacked_lock);
@@ -1396,6 +1415,7 @@ static void batadv_tp_ack_unordered(struct batadv_tp_vars *tp_vars)
 
 		list_del(&un->list);
 		kfree(un);
+		tp_vars->unacked_count--;
 	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&tp_vars->unacked_lock);
 }
@@ -1445,6 +1465,7 @@ batadv_tp_init_recv(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 
 	spin_lock_init(&tp_vars->unacked_lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&tp_vars->unacked_list);
+	tp_vars->unacked_count = 0;
 
 	kref_get(&tp_vars->refcount);
 	timer_setup(&tp_vars->timer, batadv_tp_receiver_shutdown, 0);
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/types.h b/net/batman-adv/types.h
index 67feea66b8bb..45447c5aa114 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/types.h
+++ b/net/batman-adv/types.h
@@ -1450,6 +1450,9 @@ struct batadv_tp_vars {
 	/** @unacked_lock: protect unacked_list */
 	spinlock_t unacked_lock;
 
+	/** @unacked_count: number of unacked entries */
+	size_t unacked_count;
+
 	/** @last_recv_time: time time (jiffies) a msg was received */
 	unsigned long last_recv_time;