diff --git a/include/net/act_api.h b/include/net/act_api.h
index 2bf3092ae7ec..312f0f6554a0 100644
--- a/include/net/act_api.h
+++ b/include/net/act_api.h
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ int tcf_action_exec(struct sk_buff *skb, struct tc_action **actions,
 		    int nr_actions, struct tcf_result *res);
 int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 		    struct nlattr *est, char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-		    struct tc_action *actions[], size_t *attr_size,
+		    struct tc_action *actions[], int init_res[], size_t *attr_size,
 		    bool rtnl_held, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 struct tc_action_ops *tc_action_load_ops(char *name, struct nlattr *nla,
 					 bool rtnl_held,
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ struct tc_action_ops *tc_action_load_ops(char *name, struct nlattr *nla,
 struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 				    struct nlattr *nla, struct nlattr *est,
 				    char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-				    struct tc_action_ops *ops, bool rtnl_held,
+				    struct tc_action_ops *a_o, int *init_res,
+				    bool rtnl_held,
 				    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int tcf_action_dump(struct sk_buff *skb, struct tc_action *actions[], int bind,
 		    int ref, bool terse);
diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index b919826939e0..50854cfbfcdb 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -992,7 +992,8 @@ struct tc_action_ops *tc_action_load_ops(char *name, struct nlattr *nla,
 struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 				    struct nlattr *nla, struct nlattr *est,
 				    char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-				    struct tc_action_ops *a_o, bool rtnl_held,
+				    struct tc_action_ops *a_o, int *init_res,
+				    bool rtnl_held,
 				    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	struct nla_bitfield32 flags = { 0, 0 };
@@ -1028,6 +1029,7 @@ struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 	}
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto err_out;
+	*init_res = err;
 
 	if (!name && tb[TCA_ACT_COOKIE])
 		tcf_set_action_cookie(&a->act_cookie, cookie);
@@ -1056,7 +1058,7 @@ err_out:
 
 int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 		    struct nlattr *est, char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-		    struct tc_action *actions[], size_t *attr_size,
+		    struct tc_action *actions[], int init_res[], size_t *attr_size,
 		    bool rtnl_held, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	struct tc_action_ops *ops[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO] = {};
@@ -1084,7 +1086,8 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 
 	for (i = 1; i <= TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO && tb[i]; i++) {
 		act = tcf_action_init_1(net, tp, tb[i], est, name, ovr, bind,
-					ops[i - 1], rtnl_held, extack);
+					ops[i - 1], &init_res[i - 1], rtnl_held,
+					extack);
 		if (IS_ERR(act)) {
 			err = PTR_ERR(act);
 			goto err;
@@ -1497,12 +1500,13 @@ static int tcf_action_add(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 			  struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	size_t attr_size = 0;
-	int loop, ret;
+	int loop, ret, i;
 	struct tc_action *actions[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO] = {};
+	int init_res[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO] = {};
 
 	for (loop = 0; loop < 10; loop++) {
 		ret = tcf_action_init(net, NULL, nla, NULL, NULL, ovr, 0,
-				      actions, &attr_size, true, extack);
+				      actions, init_res, &attr_size, true, extack);
 		if (ret != -EAGAIN)
 			break;
 	}
@@ -1510,8 +1514,12 @@ static int tcf_action_add(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 	ret = tcf_add_notify(net, n, actions, portid, attr_size, extack);
-	if (ovr)
-		tcf_action_put_many(actions);
+
+	/* only put existing actions */
+	for (i = 0; i < TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO; i++)
+		if (init_res[i] == ACT_P_CREATED)
+			actions[i] = NULL;
+	tcf_action_put_many(actions);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/net/sched/cls_api.c b/net/sched/cls_api.c
index 9332ec6863e8..9ecb91ebf094 100644
--- a/net/sched/cls_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/cls_api.c
@@ -3040,6 +3040,7 @@ int tcf_exts_validate(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr **tb,
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_CLS_ACT
 	{
+		int init_res[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO] = {};
 		struct tc_action *act;
 		size_t attr_size = 0;
 
@@ -3051,8 +3052,8 @@ int tcf_exts_validate(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr **tb,
 				return PTR_ERR(a_o);
 			act = tcf_action_init_1(net, tp, tb[exts->police],
 						rate_tlv, "police", ovr,
-						TCA_ACT_BIND, a_o, rtnl_held,
-						extack);
+						TCA_ACT_BIND, a_o, init_res,
+						rtnl_held, extack);
 			if (IS_ERR(act)) {
 				module_put(a_o->owner);
 				return PTR_ERR(act);
@@ -3067,8 +3068,8 @@ int tcf_exts_validate(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr **tb,
 
 			err = tcf_action_init(net, tp, tb[exts->action],
 					      rate_tlv, NULL, ovr, TCA_ACT_BIND,
-					      exts->actions, &attr_size,
-					      rtnl_held, extack);
+					      exts->actions, init_res,
+					      &attr_size, rtnl_held, extack);
 			if (err < 0)
 				return err;
 			exts->nr_actions = err;