diff --git a/include/net/act_api.h b/include/net/act_api.h
index 3ee4c92afd1b..931738bc5bba 100644
--- a/include/net/act_api.h
+++ b/include/net/act_api.h
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ struct tc_action_ops {
 
 int tcf_hash_search(struct tc_action *a, u32 index);
 void tcf_hash_destroy(struct tc_action *a);
-int tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, int bind);
 u32 tcf_hash_new_index(struct tcf_hashinfo *hinfo);
 int tcf_hash_check(u32 index, struct tc_action *a, int bind);
 int tcf_hash_create(u32 index, struct nlattr *est, struct tc_action *a,
@@ -107,6 +106,13 @@ int tcf_hash_create(u32 index, struct nlattr *est, struct tc_action *a,
 void tcf_hash_cleanup(struct tc_action *a, struct nlattr *est);
 void tcf_hash_insert(struct tc_action *a);
 
+int __tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind, bool strict);
+
+static inline int tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind)
+{
+	return __tcf_hash_release(a, bind, false);
+}
+
 int tcf_register_action(struct tc_action_ops *a, unsigned int mask);
 int tcf_unregister_action(struct tc_action_ops *a);
 int tcf_action_destroy(struct list_head *actions, int bind);
diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index af427a3dbcba..43ec92680ae8 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void tcf_hash_destroy(struct tc_action *a)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcf_hash_destroy);
 
-int tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
+int __tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, bool bind, bool strict)
 {
 	struct tcf_common *p = a->priv;
 	int ret = 0;
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ int tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
 	if (p) {
 		if (bind)
 			p->tcfc_bindcnt--;
-		else if (p->tcfc_bindcnt > 0)
+		else if (strict && p->tcfc_bindcnt > 0)
 			return -EPERM;
 
 		p->tcfc_refcnt--;
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ int tcf_hash_release(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
 			ret = 1;
 		}
 	}
+
 	return ret;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcf_hash_release);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(__tcf_hash_release);
 
 static int tcf_dump_walker(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb,
 			   struct tc_action *a)
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ static int tcf_del_walker(struct sk_buff *skb, struct tc_action *a)
 		head = &hinfo->htab[tcf_hash(i, hinfo->hmask)];
 		hlist_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, head, tcfc_head) {
 			a->priv = p;
-			ret = tcf_hash_release(a, 0);
+			ret = __tcf_hash_release(a, false, true);
 			if (ret == ACT_P_DELETED) {
 				module_put(a->ops->owner);
 				n_i++;
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ int tcf_action_destroy(struct list_head *actions, int bind)
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(a, tmp, actions, list) {
-		ret = tcf_hash_release(a, bind);
+		ret = __tcf_hash_release(a, bind, true);
 		if (ret == ACT_P_DELETED)
 			module_put(a->ops->owner);
 		else if (ret < 0)