diff --git a/net/sched/cls_api.c b/net/sched/cls_api.c
index ab255b421781b86d5b76dd1e67b8473e5a928af0..7d97f612c9b94d17ef2f9c454426922105ccc146 100644
--- a/net/sched/cls_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/cls_api.c
@@ -205,13 +205,14 @@ static void tcf_chain_head_change(struct tcf_chain *chain,
 
 static void tcf_chain_flush(struct tcf_chain *chain)
 {
-	struct tcf_proto *tp;
+	struct tcf_proto *tp = rtnl_dereference(chain->filter_chain);
 
 	tcf_chain_head_change(chain, NULL);
-	while ((tp = rtnl_dereference(chain->filter_chain)) != NULL) {
+	while (tp) {
 		RCU_INIT_POINTER(chain->filter_chain, tp->next);
-		tcf_chain_put(chain);
 		tcf_proto_destroy(tp);
+		tp = rtnl_dereference(chain->filter_chain);
+		tcf_chain_put(chain);
 	}
 }