diff --git a/drivers/net/can/dev/netlink.c b/drivers/net/can/dev/netlink.c
index 7633d98e3912..5427712fcf80 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/dev/netlink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/dev/netlink.c
@@ -509,7 +509,8 @@ static int can_fill_info(struct sk_buff *skb, const struct net_device *dev)
 	if (priv->do_get_state)
 		priv->do_get_state(dev, &state);
 
-	if ((priv->bittiming.bitrate &&
+	if ((priv->bittiming.bitrate != CAN_BITRATE_UNSET &&
+	     priv->bittiming.bitrate != CAN_BITRATE_UNKNOWN &&
 	     nla_put(skb, IFLA_CAN_BITTIMING,
 		     sizeof(priv->bittiming), &priv->bittiming)) ||
 
diff --git a/include/linux/can/bittiming.h b/include/linux/can/bittiming.h
index 7ae21c0f7f23..ef0a77173e3c 100644
--- a/include/linux/can/bittiming.h
+++ b/include/linux/can/bittiming.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 #define CAN_SYNC_SEG 1
 
+#define CAN_BITRATE_UNSET 0
+#define CAN_BITRATE_UNKNOWN (-1U)
 
 #define CAN_CTRLMODE_TDC_MASK					\
 	(CAN_CTRLMODE_TDC_AUTO | CAN_CTRLMODE_TDC_MANUAL)