diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
index 6307d59f23da67655b72fca7360cf58f68513941..68e04d47f6fd74fa4b71fd3c34e9700522f8be2c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
@@ -2246,6 +2246,11 @@ int vcap_add_rule(struct vcap_rule *rule)
 	if (move.count > 0)
 		vcap_move_rules(ri, &move);
 
+	/* Set the counter to zero */
+	ret = vcap_write_counter(ri, &ctr);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out;
+
 	if (ri->state == VCAP_RS_DISABLED) {
 		/* Erase the rule area */
 		ri->vctrl->ops->init(ri->ndev, ri->admin, ri->addr, ri->size);
@@ -2264,8 +2269,6 @@ int vcap_add_rule(struct vcap_rule *rule)
 		pr_err("%s:%d: rule write error: %d\n", __func__, __LINE__, ret);
 		goto out;
 	}
-	/* Set the counter to zero */
-	ret = vcap_write_counter(ri, &ctr);
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&ri->admin->lock);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
index b2753aac8ad213b2b91c494d964ba8e974411f3d..0a1d4d74056790487a3f1d390cbb6773ef821cb5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
@@ -1337,8 +1337,8 @@ static void vcap_api_encode_rule_test(struct kunit *test)
 	u32 port_mask_rng_mask = 0x0f;
 	u32 igr_port_mask_value = 0xffabcd01;
 	u32 igr_port_mask_mask = ~0;
-	/* counter is written as the last operation */
-	u32 expwriteaddr[] = {792, 793, 794, 795, 796, 797, 792};
+	/* counter is written as the first operation */
+	u32 expwriteaddr[] = {792, 792, 793, 794, 795, 796, 797};
 	int idx;
 
 	vcap_test_api_init(&is2_admin);