diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index e5591f4f19b7..0246f5cdd355 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -531,9 +531,16 @@ static void del_hw_fte(struct fs_node *node)
 	}
 }
 
+static void del_sw_fte_rcu(struct rcu_head *head)
+{
+	struct fs_fte *fte = container_of(head, struct fs_fte, rcu);
+	struct mlx5_flow_steering *steering = get_steering(&fte->node);
+
+	kmem_cache_free(steering->ftes_cache, fte);
+}
+
 static void del_sw_fte(struct fs_node *node)
 {
-	struct mlx5_flow_steering *steering = get_steering(node);
 	struct mlx5_flow_group *fg;
 	struct fs_fte *fte;
 	int err;
@@ -546,7 +553,8 @@ static void del_sw_fte(struct fs_node *node)
 				     rhash_fte);
 	WARN_ON(err);
 	ida_simple_remove(&fg->fte_allocator, fte->index - fg->start_index);
-	kmem_cache_free(steering->ftes_cache, fte);
+
+	call_rcu(&fte->rcu, del_sw_fte_rcu);
 }
 
 static void del_hw_flow_group(struct fs_node *node)
@@ -1623,22 +1631,47 @@ static u64 matched_fgs_get_version(struct list_head *match_head)
 }
 
 static struct fs_fte *
-lookup_fte_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g,
-		  const u32 *match_value,
-		  bool take_write)
+lookup_fte_for_write_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g, const u32 *match_value)
 {
 	struct fs_fte *fte_tmp;
 
-	if (take_write)
-		nested_down_write_ref_node(&g->node, FS_LOCK_PARENT);
-	else
-		nested_down_read_ref_node(&g->node, FS_LOCK_PARENT);
-	fte_tmp = rhashtable_lookup_fast(&g->ftes_hash, match_value,
-					 rhash_fte);
+	nested_down_write_ref_node(&g->node, FS_LOCK_PARENT);
+
+	fte_tmp = rhashtable_lookup_fast(&g->ftes_hash, match_value, rhash_fte);
 	if (!fte_tmp || !tree_get_node(&fte_tmp->node)) {
 		fte_tmp = NULL;
 		goto out;
 	}
+
+	if (!fte_tmp->node.active) {
+		tree_put_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
+		fte_tmp = NULL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	nested_down_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, FS_LOCK_CHILD);
+
+out:
+	up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);
+	return fte_tmp;
+}
+
+static struct fs_fte *
+lookup_fte_for_read_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g, const u32 *match_value)
+{
+	struct fs_fte *fte_tmp;
+
+	if (!tree_get_node(&g->node))
+		return NULL;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	fte_tmp = rhashtable_lookup(&g->ftes_hash, match_value, rhash_fte);
+	if (!fte_tmp || !tree_get_node(&fte_tmp->node)) {
+		rcu_read_unlock();
+		fte_tmp = NULL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
 	if (!fte_tmp->node.active) {
 		tree_put_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
 		fte_tmp = NULL;
@@ -1646,14 +1679,21 @@ lookup_fte_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g,
 	}
 
 	nested_down_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, FS_LOCK_CHILD);
+
 out:
-	if (take_write)
-		up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);
-	else
-		up_read_ref_node(&g->node);
+	tree_put_node(&g->node, false);
 	return fte_tmp;
 }
 
+static struct fs_fte *
+lookup_fte_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g, const u32 *match_value, bool write)
+{
+	if (write)
+		return lookup_fte_for_write_locked(g, match_value);
+	else
+		return lookup_fte_for_read_locked(g, match_value);
+}
+
 static struct mlx5_flow_handle *
 try_add_to_existing_fg(struct mlx5_flow_table *ft,
 		       struct list_head *match_head,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.h
index 00717eba2256..f278298b0f6e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.h
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ struct fs_fte {
 	enum fs_fte_status		status;
 	struct mlx5_fc			*counter;
 	struct rhash_head		hash;
+	struct rcu_head	rcu;
 	int				modify_mask;
 };