diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index da9733da9868..817065aa2833 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -588,7 +588,8 @@ static int tcf_idr_release_unsafe(struct tc_action *p)
 }
 
 static int tcf_del_walker(struct tcf_idrinfo *idrinfo, struct sk_buff *skb,
-			  const struct tc_action_ops *ops)
+			  const struct tc_action_ops *ops,
+			  struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	struct nlattr *nest;
 	int n_i = 0;
@@ -604,20 +605,25 @@ static int tcf_del_walker(struct tcf_idrinfo *idrinfo, struct sk_buff *skb,
 	if (nla_put_string(skb, TCA_KIND, ops->kind))
 		goto nla_put_failure;
 
+	ret = 0;
 	mutex_lock(&idrinfo->lock);
 	idr_for_each_entry_ul(idr, p, tmp, id) {
 		if (IS_ERR(p))
 			continue;
 		ret = tcf_idr_release_unsafe(p);
-		if (ret == ACT_P_DELETED) {
+		if (ret == ACT_P_DELETED)
 			module_put(ops->owner);
-			n_i++;
-		} else if (ret < 0) {
-			mutex_unlock(&idrinfo->lock);
-			goto nla_put_failure;
-		}
+		else if (ret < 0)
+			break;
+		n_i++;
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&idrinfo->lock);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		if (n_i)
+			NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Unable to flush all TC actions");
+		else
+			goto nla_put_failure;
+	}
 
 	ret = nla_put_u32(skb, TCA_FCNT, n_i);
 	if (ret)
@@ -638,7 +644,7 @@ int tcf_generic_walker(struct tc_action_net *tn, struct sk_buff *skb,
 	struct tcf_idrinfo *idrinfo = tn->idrinfo;
 
 	if (type == RTM_DELACTION) {
-		return tcf_del_walker(idrinfo, skb, ops);
+		return tcf_del_walker(idrinfo, skb, ops, extack);
 	} else if (type == RTM_GETACTION) {
 		return tcf_dump_walker(idrinfo, skb, cb);
 	} else {