diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index 936dc1dad2c3ce84656fdae24ee35ef9c47f7952..2b7a71032a85cf91a26b4034f55a84a0bb08a723 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -3364,7 +3364,8 @@ static int nf_tables_newrule(struct net *net, struct sock *nlsk,
 
 	return 0;
 err2:
-	nf_tables_rule_release(&ctx, rule);
+	nft_rule_expr_deactivate(&ctx, rule, NFT_TRANS_PREPARE);
+	nf_tables_rule_destroy(&ctx, rule);
 err1:
 	for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
 		if (info[i].ops) {