diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index fe501ba88bea..00834c914dc6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -2041,6 +2041,8 @@ void mlx5_del_flow_rules(struct mlx5_flow_handle *handle)
 		fte->node.del_hw_func = NULL;
 		up_write_ref_node(&fte->node, false);
 		tree_put_node(&fte->node, false);
+	} else {
+		up_write_ref_node(&fte->node, false);
 	}
 	kfree(handle);
 }