diff --git a/include/net/act_api.h b/include/net/act_api.h
index 2bf3092ae7ec..086b291e9530 100644
--- a/include/net/act_api.h
+++ b/include/net/act_api.h
@@ -170,12 +170,7 @@ void tcf_idr_insert_many(struct tc_action *actions[]);
 void tcf_idr_cleanup(struct tc_action_net *tn, u32 index);
 int tcf_idr_check_alloc(struct tc_action_net *tn, u32 *index,
 			struct tc_action **a, int bind);
-int __tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind, bool strict);
-
-static inline int tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind)
-{
-	return __tcf_idr_release(a, bind, false);
-}
+int tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind);
 
 int tcf_register_action(struct tc_action_ops *a, struct pernet_operations *ops);
 int tcf_unregister_action(struct tc_action_ops *a,
@@ -185,7 +180,7 @@ 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 +188,8 @@ 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 43cceb924976..f6d5755d669e 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static int __tcf_action_put(struct tc_action *p, bool bind)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int __tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *p, bool bind, bool strict)
+static int __tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *p, bool bind, bool strict)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
@@ -184,7 +184,18 @@ int __tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *p, bool bind, bool strict)
 
 	return ret;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(__tcf_idr_release);
+
+int tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind)
+{
+	const struct tc_action_ops *ops = a->ops;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = __tcf_idr_release(a, bind, false);
+	if (ret == ACT_P_DELETED)
+		module_put(ops->owner);
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcf_idr_release);
 
 static size_t tcf_action_shared_attrs_size(const struct tc_action *act)
 {
@@ -493,6 +504,7 @@ int tcf_idr_create(struct tc_action_net *tn, u32 index, struct nlattr *est,
 	}
 
 	p->idrinfo = idrinfo;
+	__module_get(ops->owner);
 	p->ops = ops;
 	*a = p;
 	return 0;
@@ -992,7 +1004,8 @@ 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 +1041,7 @@ 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);
@@ -1035,16 +1049,6 @@ struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 	if (!name)
 		a->hw_stats = hw_stats;
 
-	/* module count goes up only when brand new policy is created
-	 * if it exists and is only bound to in a_o->init() then
-	 * ACT_P_CREATED is not returned (a zero is).
-	 */
-	if (err != ACT_P_CREATED)
-		module_put(a_o->owner);
-
-	if (!bind && ovr && err == ACT_P_CREATED)
-		refcount_set(&a->tcfa_refcnt, 2);
-
 	return a;
 
 err_out:
@@ -1059,7 +1063,7 @@ 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] = {};
@@ -1087,7 +1091,8 @@ 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;
@@ -1103,7 +1108,8 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 	tcf_idr_insert_many(actions);
 
 	*attr_size = tcf_action_full_attrs_size(sz);
-	return i - 1;
+	err = i - 1;
+	goto err_mod;
 
 err:
 	tcf_action_destroy(actions, bind);
@@ -1500,12 +1506,13 @@ 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;
 	}
@@ -1513,8 +1520,12 @@ 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..340d5af86e87 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;
 
@@ -3051,12 +3052,11 @@ 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);
-			if (IS_ERR(act)) {
-				module_put(a_o->owner);
+						TCA_ACT_BIND, a_o, init_res,
+						rtnl_held, extack);
+			module_put(a_o->owner);
+			if (IS_ERR(act))
 				return PTR_ERR(act);
-			}
 
 			act->type = exts->type = TCA_OLD_COMPAT;
 			exts->actions[0] = act;
@@ -3067,8 +3067,8 @@ 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;