diff --git a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
index 90dc6ea2a683c3e3672ea0c26cf717c1e092bfa0..937cebb3ab5477875c3a5a87bda312773923cbbd 100644
--- a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
+++ b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
@@ -335,9 +335,9 @@ extern int xt_check_target(const struct xt_target *target, unsigned short family
 			   unsigned int size, const char *table, unsigned int hook,
 			   unsigned short proto, int inv_proto);
 
-extern int xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
-			     struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
-			     struct xt_table_info *newinfo);
+extern struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
+					  struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
+					  struct xt_table_info *newinfo);
 extern void *xt_unregister_table(struct xt_table *table);
 
 extern struct xt_table_info *xt_replace_table(struct xt_table *table,
diff --git a/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c b/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
index b4a810c28ac85c3f79e6e350ea985b8a85ba380d..060de950e6ac3c9d04d0a08122bad93d0138d33f 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
@@ -1727,6 +1727,7 @@ int arpt_register_table(struct arpt_table *table,
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap
 		= { 0, 0, 0, { 0 }, { 0 }, { } };
 	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table *new_table;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo) {
@@ -1750,10 +1751,10 @@ int arpt_register_table(struct arpt_table *table,
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	ret = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
-	if (ret != 0) {
+	new_table = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		xt_free_table_info(newinfo);
-		return ret;
+		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c b/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
index 628a6b58ddb8a9fbe6ed10167d4c6f8046a38dab..1b7c09e4a007e75adfb9c075806d33feb693a62b 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
@@ -2055,6 +2055,7 @@ int ipt_register_table(struct xt_table *table, const struct ipt_replace *repl)
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap
 		= { 0, 0, 0, { 0 }, { 0 }, { } };
 	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table *new_table;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo)
@@ -2074,10 +2075,10 @@ int ipt_register_table(struct xt_table *table, const struct ipt_replace *repl)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	ret = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
-	if (ret != 0) {
+	new_table = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		xt_free_table_info(newinfo);
-		return ret;
+		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c b/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
index 92b4898344ff96f5c83cb555bffc6a95ca15aeac..f7a62398d7b7ee263fdb2539625197c9bd35a5b7 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
@@ -2081,6 +2081,7 @@ int ip6t_register_table(struct xt_table *table, const struct ip6t_replace *repl)
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap
 		= { 0, 0, 0, { 0 }, { 0 }, { } };
 	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table *new_table;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo)
@@ -2100,10 +2101,10 @@ int ip6t_register_table(struct xt_table *table, const struct ip6t_replace *repl)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	ret = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
-	if (ret != 0) {
+	new_table = xt_register_table(table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		xt_free_table_info(newinfo);
-		return ret;
+		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
index 8d4fca96a4a719a054ee3ac0cb02643dc90113ba..d8d8637739bacaa1a035a32bb94c6ee6b09591e3 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
@@ -660,9 +660,9 @@ xt_replace_table(struct xt_table *table,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xt_replace_table);
 
-int xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
-		      struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
-		      struct xt_table_info *newinfo)
+struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
+				   struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
+				   struct xt_table_info *newinfo)
 {
 	int ret;
 	struct xt_table_info *private;
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ int xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
 
 	ret = mutex_lock_interruptible(&xt[table->af].mutex);
 	if (ret != 0)
-		return ret;
+		goto out;
 
 	/* Don't autoload: we'd eat our tail... */
 	list_for_each_entry(t, &xt[table->af].tables, list) {
@@ -693,11 +693,13 @@ int xt_register_table(struct xt_table *table,
 	private->initial_entries = private->number;
 
 	list_add(&table->list, &xt[table->af].tables);
+	mutex_unlock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
+	return table;
 
-	ret = 0;
  unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
-	return ret;
+out:
+	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xt_register_table);