diff --git a/net/sched/sch_hfsc.c b/net/sched/sch_hfsc.c
index 4b9f323845b9..fc1370c29373 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_hfsc.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_hfsc.c
@@ -204,7 +204,10 @@ eltree_insert(struct hfsc_class *cl)
 static inline void
 eltree_remove(struct hfsc_class *cl)
 {
-	rb_erase(&cl->el_node, &cl->sched->eligible);
+	if (!RB_EMPTY_NODE(&cl->el_node)) {
+		rb_erase(&cl->el_node, &cl->sched->eligible);
+		RB_CLEAR_NODE(&cl->el_node);
+	}
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -1222,7 +1225,8 @@ hfsc_qlen_notify(struct Qdisc *sch, unsigned long arg)
 	/* vttree is now handled in update_vf() so that update_vf(cl, 0, 0)
 	 * needs to be called explicitly to remove a class from vttree.
 	 */
-	update_vf(cl, 0, 0);
+	if (cl->cl_nactive)
+		update_vf(cl, 0, 0);
 	if (cl->cl_flags & HFSC_RSC)
 		eltree_remove(cl);
 }