diff --git a/core/net/rpl/rpl.c b/core/net/rpl/rpl.c
index 47a3d1bcc..145ec1cd1 100644
--- a/core/net/rpl/rpl.c
+++ b/core/net/rpl/rpl.c
@@ -215,12 +215,10 @@ rpl_remove_routes_by_nexthop(uip_ipaddr_t *nexthop, rpl_dag_t *dag)
 
   while(r != NULL) {
     if(uip_ipaddr_cmp(uip_ds6_route_nexthop(r), nexthop) &&
-       r->state.dag == dag) {
-      uip_ds6_route_rm(r);
-      r = uip_ds6_route_head();
-    } else {
-      r = uip_ds6_route_next(r);
+        r->state.dag == dag) {
+      r->state.lifetime = 0;
     }
+    r = uip_ds6_route_next(r);
   }
   ANNOTATE("#L %u 0\n", nexthop->u8[sizeof(uip_ipaddr_t) - 1]);
 }