diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index 0fcee702b808..ee4d86c1f436 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -1760,6 +1760,7 @@ search_again_locked:
 		if (!fte_tmp)
 			continue;
 		rule = add_rule_fg(g, spec, flow_act, dest, dest_num, fte_tmp);
+		/* No error check needed here, because insert_fte() is not called */
 		up_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
 		tree_put_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
 		kmem_cache_free(steering->ftes_cache, fte);
@@ -1812,6 +1813,8 @@ skip_search:
 		up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);
 		rule = add_rule_fg(g, spec, flow_act, dest, dest_num, fte);
 		up_write_ref_node(&fte->node, false);
+		if (IS_ERR(rule))
+			tree_put_node(&fte->node, false);
 		return rule;
 	}
 	rule = ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
@@ -1910,6 +1913,8 @@ search_again_locked:
 	up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);
 	rule = add_rule_fg(g, spec, flow_act, dest, dest_num, fte);
 	up_write_ref_node(&fte->node, false);
+	if (IS_ERR(rule))
+		tree_put_node(&fte->node, false);
 	tree_put_node(&g->node, false);
 	return rule;