diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index e2f7cecce6f1a0..991250f44c2ed1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -1946,13 +1946,22 @@ lookup_fte_locked(struct mlx5_flow_group *g,
 		fte_tmp = NULL;
 		goto out;
 	}
+
+	nested_down_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, FS_LOCK_CHILD);
+
 	if (!fte_tmp->node.active) {
+		up_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
+
+		if (take_write)
+			up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);
+		else
+			up_read_ref_node(&g->node);
+
 		tree_put_node(&fte_tmp->node, false);
-		fte_tmp = NULL;
-		goto out;
+
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	nested_down_write_ref_node(&fte_tmp->node, FS_LOCK_CHILD);
 out:
 	if (take_write)
 		up_write_ref_node(&g->node, false);