diff --git a/net/sched/act_ife.c b/net/sched/act_ife.c
index b7fa969..b52deb4 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_ife.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_ife.c
@@ -239,8 +239,7 @@ static int ife_validate_metatype(struct tcf_meta_ops *ops, void *val, int len)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-/* called when adding new meta information
- * under ife->tcf_lock
+/* called to find new metadata ops. Possibly load it as a module.
 */
 static int load_metaops_and_vet(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, u32 metaid,
 				void *val, int len)
@@ -251,11 +250,9 @@ static int load_metaops_and_vet(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, u32 metaid,
 	if (!ops) {
 		ret = -ENOENT;
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
-		spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 		rtnl_unlock();
 		request_module("ifemeta%u", metaid);
 		rtnl_lock();
-		spin_lock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 		ops = find_ife_oplist(metaid);
 #endif
 	}
@@ -272,7 +269,6 @@ static int load_metaops_and_vet(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, u32 metaid,
 }
 
 /* called when adding new meta information
- * under ife->tcf_lock
 */
 static int add_metainfo(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, u32 metaid, void *metaval,
 			int len)
@@ -302,7 +298,9 @@ static int add_metainfo(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, u32 metaid, void *metaval,
 		}
 	}
 
+	spin_lock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 	list_add_tail(&mi->metalist, &ife->metalist);
+	spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -357,7 +355,6 @@ out_nlmsg_trim:
 	return -1;
 }
 
-/* under ife->tcf_lock */
 static void _tcf_ife_cleanup(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
 {
 	struct tcf_ife_info *ife = a->priv;
@@ -385,7 +382,6 @@ static void tcf_ife_cleanup(struct tc_action *a, int bind)
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 }
 
-/* under ife->tcf_lock */
 static int populate_metalist(struct tcf_ife_info *ife, struct nlattr **tb)
 {
 	int len = 0;
@@ -465,6 +461,8 @@ static int tcf_ife_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 	}
 
 	ife = to_ife(a);
+	if (exists)
+		spin_lock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 	ife->flags = parm->flags;
 
 	if (parm->flags & IFE_ENCODE) {
@@ -475,10 +473,9 @@ static int tcf_ife_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 			saddr = nla_data(tb[TCA_IFE_SMAC]);
 	}
 
-	spin_lock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 	ife->tcf_action = parm->action;
-
 	if (parm->flags & IFE_ENCODE) {
+
 		if (daddr)
 			ether_addr_copy(ife->eth_dst, daddr);
 		else
@@ -492,6 +489,9 @@ static int tcf_ife_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 		ife->eth_type = ife_type;
 	}
 
+	if (exists)
+		spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
+
 	if (ret == ACT_P_CREATED)
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ife->metalist);
 
@@ -505,7 +505,6 @@ metadata_parse_err:
 			if (ret == ACT_P_CREATED)
 				_tcf_ife_cleanup(a, bind);
 
-			spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 			return err;
 		}
 
@@ -524,13 +523,10 @@ metadata_parse_err:
 			if (ret == ACT_P_CREATED)
 				_tcf_ife_cleanup(a, bind);
 
-			spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
 			return err;
 		}
 	}
 
-	spin_unlock_bh(&ife->tcf_lock);
-
 	if (ret == ACT_P_CREATED)
 		tcf_hash_insert(tn, a);