return ret;
 }
 
+static int tcf_action_destroy_1(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
+{
+       struct tc_action *actions[] = { a, NULL };
+
+       return tcf_action_destroy(actions, bind);
+}
+
 static int tcf_action_put(struct tc_action *p)
 {
        return __tcf_action_put(p, false);
        if (TC_ACT_EXT_CMP(a->tcfa_action, TC_ACT_GOTO_CHAIN)) {
                err = tcf_action_goto_chain_init(a, tp);
                if (err) {
-                       struct tc_action *actions[] = { a, NULL };
-
-                       tcf_action_destroy(actions, bind);
+                       tcf_action_destroy_1(a, bind);
                        NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to init TC action chain");
                        return ERR_PTR(err);
                }
        }
 
        if (!tcf_action_valid(a->tcfa_action)) {
-               NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "invalid action value, using TC_ACT_UNSPEC instead");
-               a->tcfa_action = TC_ACT_UNSPEC;
+               tcf_action_destroy_1(a, bind);
+               NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Invalid control action value");
+               return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
        }
 
        return a;