diff --git a/include/net/act_api.h b/include/net/act_api.h
index b944e0eb93be..5072446d5f06 100644
--- a/include/net/act_api.h
+++ b/include/net/act_api.h
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ void tcf_idrinfo_destroy(const struct tc_action_ops *ops,
 
 static inline void tc_action_net_exit(struct tc_action_net *tn)
 {
+	rtnl_lock();
 	tcf_idrinfo_destroy(tn->ops, tn->idrinfo);
+	rtnl_unlock();
 	kfree(tn->idrinfo);
 }
 
diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index da6fa82c98a8..8f2c63514956 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ int __tcf_idr_release(struct tc_action *p, bool bind, bool strict)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
 	if (p) {
 		if (bind)
 			p->tcfa_bindcnt--;