diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index 42105628d4b9..f10be72021dd 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -7322,6 +7322,11 @@ static int nft_add_set_elem(struct nft_ctx *ctx, struct nft_set *set,
 			 * and an existing one.
 			 */
 			err = -EEXIST;
+		} else if (err == -ECANCELED) {
+			/* ECANCELED reports an existing nul-element in
+			 * interval sets.
+			 */
+			err = 0;
 		}
 		goto err_element_clash;
 	}
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nft_set_rbtree.c b/net/netfilter/nft_set_rbtree.c
index b1f04168ec93..0bbce4505b97 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nft_set_rbtree.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nft_set_rbtree.c
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ static bool nft_rbtree_interval_start(const struct nft_rbtree_elem *rbe)
 	return !nft_rbtree_interval_end(rbe);
 }
 
+static bool nft_rbtree_interval_null(const struct nft_set *set,
+				     const struct nft_rbtree_elem *rbe)
+{
+	return (!memchr_inv(nft_set_ext_key(&rbe->ext), 0, set->klen) &&
+		nft_rbtree_interval_end(rbe));
+}
+
 static int nft_rbtree_cmp(const struct nft_set *set,
 			  const struct nft_rbtree_elem *e1,
 			  const struct nft_rbtree_elem *e2)
@@ -431,6 +438,12 @@ static int __nft_rbtree_insert(const struct net *net, const struct nft_set *set,
 	 */
 	if (rbe_le && !nft_rbtree_cmp(set, new, rbe_le) &&
 	    nft_rbtree_interval_end(rbe_le) == nft_rbtree_interval_end(new)) {
+		/* - ignore null interval, otherwise NLM_F_CREATE bogusly
+		 *   reports EEXIST.
+		 */
+		if (nft_rbtree_interval_null(set, new))
+			return -ECANCELED;
+
 		*elem_priv = &rbe_le->priv;
 		return -EEXIST;
 	}