diff --git a/net/sched/act_ife.c b/net/sched/act_ife.c
index 196430aefe87a355a9a237ef7184fa2a4830a3a3..fc412769a1bef07ea0c7df955d0613b2e8359696 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_ife.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_ife.c
@@ -400,7 +400,6 @@ static void _tcf_ife_cleanup(struct tc_action *a)
 	struct tcf_meta_info *e, *n;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(e, n, &ife->metalist, metalist) {
-		module_put(e->ops->owner);
 		list_del(&e->metalist);
 		if (e->metaval) {
 			if (e->ops->release)
@@ -408,6 +407,7 @@ static void _tcf_ife_cleanup(struct tc_action *a)
 			else
 				kfree(e->metaval);
 		}
+		module_put(e->ops->owner);
 		kfree(e);
 	}
 }