diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
index 5d9b7f62a0ba..5ced0cc46ba1 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
@@ -3320,15 +3320,18 @@ static struct mlx5_ib_flow_handler *_create_flow_rule(struct mlx5_ib_dev *dev,
 	}
 
 	if (flow_act.action & MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_COUNT) {
+		struct mlx5_ib_mcounters *mcounters;
+
 		err = flow_counters_set_data(flow_act.counters, ucmd);
 		if (err)
 			goto free;
 
+		mcounters = to_mcounters(flow_act.counters);
 		handler->ibcounters = flow_act.counters;
 		dest_arr[dest_num].type =
 			MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER;
-		dest_arr[dest_num].counter =
-			to_mcounters(flow_act.counters)->hw_cntrs_hndl;
+		dest_arr[dest_num].counter_id =
+			mlx5_fc_id(mcounters->hw_cntrs_hndl);
 		dest_num++;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fs_tracepoint.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fs_tracepoint.h
index e83dda441a81..d027ce00c8ce 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fs_tracepoint.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fs_tracepoint.h
@@ -252,10 +252,10 @@ TRACE_EVENT(mlx5_fs_add_rule,
 			   memcpy(__entry->destination,
 				  &rule->dest_attr,
 				  sizeof(__entry->destination));
-			   if (rule->dest_attr.type & MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER &&
-			       rule->dest_attr.counter)
+			   if (rule->dest_attr.type &
+			       MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER)
 				__entry->counter_id =
-				rule->dest_attr.counter->id;
+					rule->dest_attr.counter_id;
 	    ),
 	    TP_printk("rule=%p fte=%p index=%u sw_action=<%s> [dst] %s\n",
 		      __entry->rule, __entry->fte, __entry->index,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_tc.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_tc.c
index 8a27c0813a18..5ce87f54852d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_tc.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_tc.c
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ mlx5e_tc_add_nic_flow(struct mlx5e_priv *priv,
 			goto err_fc_create;
 		}
 		dest[dest_ix].type = MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER;
-		dest[dest_ix].counter = counter;
+		dest[dest_ix].counter_id = mlx5_fc_id(counter);
 		dest_ix++;
 		attr->counter = counter;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
index e1d47fa5ab83..9c893d7d273e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
@@ -1198,7 +1198,7 @@ static int esw_vport_ingress_config(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 	if (counter) {
 		flow_act.action |= MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_COUNT;
 		drop_ctr_dst.type = MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER;
-		drop_ctr_dst.counter = counter;
+		drop_ctr_dst.counter_id = mlx5_fc_id(counter);
 		dst = &drop_ctr_dst;
 		dest_num++;
 	}
@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@ static int esw_vport_egress_config(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 	if (counter) {
 		flow_act.action |= MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_COUNT;
 		drop_ctr_dst.type = MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER;
-		drop_ctr_dst.counter = counter;
+		drop_ctr_dst.counter_id = mlx5_fc_id(counter);
 		dst = &drop_ctr_dst;
 		dest_num++;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
index a2f2d726c99b..39932dce15cb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ mlx5_eswitch_add_offloaded_rule(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 	}
 	if (flow_act.action & MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_COUNT) {
 		dest[i].type = MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER;
-		dest[i].counter = attr->counter;
+		dest[i].counter_id = mlx5_fc_id(attr->counter);
 		i++;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_cmd.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_cmd.c
index dc8d7f6b52c2..08a891f9aade 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_cmd.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ static int mlx5_cmd_set_fte(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev,
 				continue;
 
 			MLX5_SET(flow_counter_list, in_dests, flow_counter_id,
-				 dst->dest_attr.counter->id);
+				 dst->dest_attr.counter_id);
 			in_dests += MLX5_ST_SZ_BYTES(dest_format_struct);
 			list_size++;
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index 9e18e6c0a8b3..cdcbf9d0ae6c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -1474,14 +1474,8 @@ static struct mlx5_flow_handle *add_rule_fg(struct mlx5_flow_group *fg,
 	return handle;
 }
 
-static bool counter_is_valid(struct mlx5_fc *counter, u32 action)
+static bool counter_is_valid(u32 action)
 {
-	if (!(action & MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_COUNT))
-		return !counter;
-
-	if (!counter)
-		return false;
-
 	return (action & (MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_DROP |
 			  MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_FWD_DEST));
 }
@@ -1491,7 +1485,7 @@ static bool dest_is_valid(struct mlx5_flow_destination *dest,
 			  struct mlx5_flow_table *ft)
 {
 	if (dest && (dest->type == MLX5_FLOW_DESTINATION_TYPE_COUNTER))
-		return counter_is_valid(dest->counter, action);
+		return counter_is_valid(action);
 
 	if (!(action & MLX5_FLOW_CONTEXT_ACTION_FWD_DEST))
 		return true;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_counters.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_counters.c
index 09206c4acd9a..1329bc5b7969 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_counters.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_counters.c
@@ -258,6 +258,12 @@ err_out:
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(mlx5_fc_create);
 
+u32 mlx5_fc_id(struct mlx5_fc *counter)
+{
+	return counter->id;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(mlx5_fc_id);
+
 void mlx5_fc_destroy(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_fc *counter)
 {
 	struct mlx5_fc_stats *fc_stats = &dev->priv.fc_stats;
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx5/fs.h b/include/linux/mlx5/fs.h
index 74d0ea146c9a..a5fc62184195 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx5/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx5/fs.h
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ struct mlx5_flow_destination {
 		u32			tir_num;
 		u32			ft_num;
 		struct mlx5_flow_table	*ft;
-		struct mlx5_fc		*counter;
+		u32			counter_id;
 		struct {
 			u16		num;
 			u16		vhca_id;
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ void mlx5_fc_query_cached(struct mlx5_fc *counter,
 			  u64 *bytes, u64 *packets, u64 *lastuse);
 int mlx5_fc_query(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_fc *counter,
 		  u64 *packets, u64 *bytes);
+u32 mlx5_fc_id(struct mlx5_fc *counter);
 
 int mlx5_fs_add_rx_underlay_qpn(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, u32 underlay_qpn);
 int mlx5_fs_remove_rx_underlay_qpn(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, u32 underlay_qpn);