diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index 5da2cc878582438cef2caf89884d3065c23aae21..a07ff305b44fdaaefcd89dcfe3a117cb2a011ff9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -1107,9 +1107,8 @@ static struct mlx5_flow_rule *add_rule_fg(struct mlx5_flow_group *fg,
 				return rule;
 			}
 			rule = add_rule_fte(fte, fg, dest);
-			unlock_ref_node(&fte->node);
 			if (IS_ERR(rule))
-				goto unlock_fg;
+				goto unlock_fte;
 			else
 				goto add_rule;
 		}
@@ -1127,6 +1126,7 @@ static struct mlx5_flow_rule *add_rule_fg(struct mlx5_flow_group *fg,
 		goto unlock_fg;
 	}
 	tree_init_node(&fte->node, 0, del_fte);
+	nested_lock_ref_node(&fte->node, FS_MUTEX_CHILD);
 	rule = add_rule_fte(fte, fg, dest);
 	if (IS_ERR(rule)) {
 		kfree(fte);
@@ -1139,6 +1139,8 @@ static struct mlx5_flow_rule *add_rule_fg(struct mlx5_flow_group *fg,
 	list_add(&fte->node.list, prev);
 add_rule:
 	tree_add_node(&rule->node, &fte->node);
+unlock_fte:
+	unlock_ref_node(&fte->node);
 unlock_fg:
 	unlock_ref_node(&fg->node);
 	return rule;