diff --git a/scapy/arch/linux/rtnetlink.py b/scapy/arch/linux/rtnetlink.py
index aea39c3747b..46e79503f71 100644
--- a/scapy/arch/linux/rtnetlink.py
+++ b/scapy/arch/linux/rtnetlink.py
@@ -715,7 +715,11 @@ def _sr1_rtrequest(pkt: Packet) -> List[Packet]:
     # Configure socket
     sock.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_SNDBUF, 32768)
     sock.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_RCVBUF, 1048576)
-    sock.setsockopt(SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK, 1)
+    try:
+        sock.setsockopt(SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK, 1)  # this is only supported after Linux 4.12
+    except OSError:
+        log_loading.warning("Failed to read the routes using RTNETLINK !")
+        return []
     sock.bind((0, 0))  # bind to kernel
     sock.setsockopt(SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_GET_STRICT_CHK, 1)
     # Request routes