diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index 316c98bb87e4..e12f8ef7baa4 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -1179,6 +1179,7 @@ static int tcf_action_delete(struct net *net, struct tc_action *actions[])
 		struct tcf_idrinfo *idrinfo = a->idrinfo;
 		u32 act_index = a->tcfa_index;
 
+		actions[i] = NULL;
 		if (tcf_action_put(a)) {
 			/* last reference, action was deleted concurrently */
 			module_put(ops->owner);
@@ -1190,7 +1191,6 @@ static int tcf_action_delete(struct net *net, struct tc_action *actions[])
 			if (ret < 0)
 				return ret;
 		}
-		actions[i] = NULL;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }