diff --git a/include/net/act_api.h b/include/net/act_api.h
index 55dab604861f..761c0e331915 100644
--- a/include/net/act_api.h
+++ b/include/net/act_api.h
@@ -186,10 +186,13 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 		    struct nlattr *est, char *name, int ovr, int bind,
 		    struct tc_action *actions[], size_t *attr_size,
 		    bool rtnl_held, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
+struct tc_action_ops *tc_action_load_ops(char *name, struct nlattr *nla,
+					 bool rtnl_held,
+					 struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 				    struct nlattr *nla, struct nlattr *est,
 				    char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-				    bool rtnl_held,
+				    struct tc_action_ops *ops, bool rtnl_held,
 				    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int tcf_action_dump(struct sk_buff *skb, struct tc_action *actions[], int bind,
 		    int ref, bool terse);
diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index 2e85b636b27b..4dd235ce9a07 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -928,19 +928,13 @@ static void tcf_idr_insert_many(struct tc_action *actions[])
 	}
 }
 
-struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
-				    struct nlattr *nla, struct nlattr *est,
-				    char *name, int ovr, int bind,
-				    bool rtnl_held,
-				    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
+struct tc_action_ops *tc_action_load_ops(char *name, struct nlattr *nla,
+					 bool rtnl_held,
+					 struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
-	struct nla_bitfield32 flags = { 0, 0 };
-	u8 hw_stats = TCA_ACT_HW_STATS_ANY;
-	struct tc_action *a;
-	struct tc_action_ops *a_o;
-	struct tc_cookie *cookie = NULL;
-	char act_name[IFNAMSIZ];
 	struct nlattr *tb[TCA_ACT_MAX + 1];
+	struct tc_action_ops *a_o;
+	char act_name[IFNAMSIZ];
 	struct nlattr *kind;
 	int err;
 
@@ -948,33 +942,21 @@ struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 		err = nla_parse_nested_deprecated(tb, TCA_ACT_MAX, nla,
 						  tcf_action_policy, extack);
 		if (err < 0)
-			goto err_out;
+			return ERR_PTR(err);
 		err = -EINVAL;
 		kind = tb[TCA_ACT_KIND];
 		if (!kind) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "TC action kind must be specified");
-			goto err_out;
+			return ERR_PTR(err);
 		}
 		if (nla_strscpy(act_name, kind, IFNAMSIZ) < 0) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "TC action name too long");
-			goto err_out;
+			return ERR_PTR(err);
 		}
-		if (tb[TCA_ACT_COOKIE]) {
-			cookie = nla_memdup_cookie(tb);
-			if (!cookie) {
-				NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "No memory to generate TC cookie");
-				err = -ENOMEM;
-				goto err_out;
-			}
-		}
-		hw_stats = tcf_action_hw_stats_get(tb[TCA_ACT_HW_STATS]);
-		if (tb[TCA_ACT_FLAGS])
-			flags = nla_get_bitfield32(tb[TCA_ACT_FLAGS]);
 	} else {
 		if (strlcpy(act_name, name, IFNAMSIZ) >= IFNAMSIZ) {
 			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "TC action name too long");
-			err = -EINVAL;
-			goto err_out;
+			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -996,24 +978,56 @@ struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 		 * indicate this using -EAGAIN.
 		 */
 		if (a_o != NULL) {
-			err = -EAGAIN;
-			goto err_mod;
+			module_put(a_o->owner);
+			return ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
 		}
 #endif
 		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to load TC action module");
-		err = -ENOENT;
-		goto err_free;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
 	}
 
+	return a_o;
+}
+
+struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
+				    struct nlattr *nla, struct nlattr *est,
+				    char *name, int ovr, int bind,
+				    struct tc_action_ops *a_o, bool rtnl_held,
+				    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
+{
+	struct nla_bitfield32 flags = { 0, 0 };
+	u8 hw_stats = TCA_ACT_HW_STATS_ANY;
+	struct nlattr *tb[TCA_ACT_MAX + 1];
+	struct tc_cookie *cookie = NULL;
+	struct tc_action *a;
+	int err;
+
 	/* backward compatibility for policer */
-	if (name == NULL)
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		err = nla_parse_nested_deprecated(tb, TCA_ACT_MAX, nla,
+						  tcf_action_policy, extack);
+		if (err < 0)
+			return ERR_PTR(err);
+		if (tb[TCA_ACT_COOKIE]) {
+			cookie = nla_memdup_cookie(tb);
+			if (!cookie) {
+				NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "No memory to generate TC cookie");
+				err = -ENOMEM;
+				goto err_out;
+			}
+		}
+		hw_stats = tcf_action_hw_stats_get(tb[TCA_ACT_HW_STATS]);
+		if (tb[TCA_ACT_FLAGS])
+			flags = nla_get_bitfield32(tb[TCA_ACT_FLAGS]);
+
 		err = a_o->init(net, tb[TCA_ACT_OPTIONS], est, &a, ovr, bind,
 				rtnl_held, tp, flags.value, extack);
-	else
+	} else {
 		err = a_o->init(net, nla, est, &a, ovr, bind, rtnl_held,
 				tp, flags.value, extack);
+	}
 	if (err < 0)
-		goto err_mod;
+		goto err_out;
 
 	if (!name && tb[TCA_ACT_COOKIE])
 		tcf_set_action_cookie(&a->act_cookie, cookie);
@@ -1030,14 +1044,11 @@ struct tc_action *tcf_action_init_1(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 
 	return a;
 
-err_mod:
-	module_put(a_o->owner);
-err_free:
+err_out:
 	if (cookie) {
 		kfree(cookie->data);
 		kfree(cookie);
 	}
-err_out:
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 
@@ -1048,6 +1059,7 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 		    struct tc_action *actions[], size_t *attr_size,
 		    bool rtnl_held, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
+	struct tc_action_ops *ops[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO] = {};
 	struct nlattr *tb[TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO + 1];
 	struct tc_action *act;
 	size_t sz = 0;
@@ -1059,9 +1071,20 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
+	for (i = 1; i <= TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO && tb[i]; i++) {
+		struct tc_action_ops *a_o;
+
+		a_o = tc_action_load_ops(name, tb[i], rtnl_held, extack);
+		if (IS_ERR(a_o)) {
+			err = PTR_ERR(a_o);
+			goto err_mod;
+		}
+		ops[i - 1] = a_o;
+	}
+
 	for (i = 1; i <= TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO && tb[i]; i++) {
 		act = tcf_action_init_1(net, tp, tb[i], est, name, ovr, bind,
-					rtnl_held, extack);
+					ops[i - 1], rtnl_held, extack);
 		if (IS_ERR(act)) {
 			err = PTR_ERR(act);
 			goto err;
@@ -1081,6 +1104,11 @@ int tcf_action_init(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr *nla,
 
 err:
 	tcf_action_destroy(actions, bind);
+err_mod:
+	for (i = 0; i < TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO; i++) {
+		if (ops[i])
+			module_put(ops[i]->owner);
+	}
 	return err;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/sched/cls_api.c b/net/sched/cls_api.c
index 37b77bd30974..a67c66a512a4 100644
--- a/net/sched/cls_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/cls_api.c
@@ -3043,12 +3043,19 @@ int tcf_exts_validate(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp, struct nlattr **tb,
 		size_t attr_size = 0;
 
 		if (exts->police && tb[exts->police]) {
+			struct tc_action_ops *a_o;
+
+			a_o = tc_action_load_ops("police", tb[exts->police], rtnl_held, extack);
+			if (IS_ERR(a_o))
+				return PTR_ERR(a_o);
 			act = tcf_action_init_1(net, tp, tb[exts->police],
 						rate_tlv, "police", ovr,
-						TCA_ACT_BIND, rtnl_held,
+						TCA_ACT_BIND, a_o, rtnl_held,
 						extack);
-			if (IS_ERR(act))
+			if (IS_ERR(act)) {
+				module_put(a_o->owner);
 				return PTR_ERR(act);
+			}
 
 			act->type = exts->type = TCA_OLD_COMPAT;
 			exts->actions[0] = act;