diff --git a/net/netfilter/nft_compat.c b/net/netfilter/nft_compat.c
index f538f884dff4..26ed2e4d2335 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nft_compat.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nft_compat.c
@@ -26,14 +26,24 @@ struct nft_xt {
 	struct list_head	head;
 	struct nft_expr_ops	ops;
 	unsigned int		refcnt;
+
+	/* Unlike other expressions, ops doesn't have static storage duration.
+	 * nft core assumes they do.  We use kfree_rcu so that nft core can
+	 * can check expr->ops->size even after nft_compat->destroy() frees
+	 * the nft_xt struct that holds the ops structure.
+	 */
+	struct rcu_head		rcu_head;
 };
 
-static void nft_xt_put(struct nft_xt *xt)
+static bool nft_xt_put(struct nft_xt *xt)
 {
 	if (--xt->refcnt == 0) {
 		list_del(&xt->head);
-		kfree(xt);
+		kfree_rcu(xt, rcu_head);
+		return true;
 	}
+
+	return false;
 }
 
 union nft_entry {
@@ -177,6 +187,7 @@ nft_target_init(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr,
 	struct xt_target *target = expr->ops->data;
 	struct xt_tgchk_param par;
 	size_t size = XT_ALIGN(nla_len(tb[NFTA_TARGET_INFO]));
+	struct nft_xt *nft_xt;
 	u8 proto = 0;
 	bool inv = false;
 	union nft_entry e = {};
@@ -187,25 +198,22 @@ nft_target_init(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr,
 	if (ctx->nla[NFTA_RULE_COMPAT]) {
 		ret = nft_parse_compat(ctx->nla[NFTA_RULE_COMPAT], &proto, &inv);
 		if (ret < 0)
-			goto err;
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	nft_target_set_tgchk_param(&par, ctx, target, info, &e, proto, inv);
 
 	ret = xt_check_target(&par, size, proto, inv);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err;
+		return ret;
 
 	/* The standard target cannot be used */
-	if (target->target == NULL) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto err;
-	}
+	if (!target->target)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
+	nft_xt = container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops);
+	nft_xt->refcnt++;
 	return 0;
-err:
-	module_put(target->me);
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -222,8 +230,8 @@ nft_target_destroy(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr)
 	if (par.target->destroy != NULL)
 		par.target->destroy(&par);
 
-	nft_xt_put(container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops));
-	module_put(target->me);
+	if (nft_xt_put(container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops)))
+		module_put(target->me);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -383,6 +391,7 @@ nft_match_init(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr,
 	struct xt_match *match = expr->ops->data;
 	struct xt_mtchk_param par;
 	size_t size = XT_ALIGN(nla_len(tb[NFTA_MATCH_INFO]));
+	struct nft_xt *nft_xt;
 	u8 proto = 0;
 	bool inv = false;
 	union nft_entry e = {};
@@ -393,19 +402,18 @@ nft_match_init(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr,
 	if (ctx->nla[NFTA_RULE_COMPAT]) {
 		ret = nft_parse_compat(ctx->nla[NFTA_RULE_COMPAT], &proto, &inv);
 		if (ret < 0)
-			goto err;
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	nft_match_set_mtchk_param(&par, ctx, match, info, &e, proto, inv);
 
 	ret = xt_check_match(&par, size, proto, inv);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err;
+		return ret;
 
+	nft_xt = container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops);
+	nft_xt->refcnt++;
 	return 0;
-err:
-	module_put(match->me);
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -423,8 +431,8 @@ nft_match_destroy(const struct nft_ctx *ctx, const struct nft_expr *expr)
 	if (par.match->destroy != NULL)
 		par.match->destroy(&par);
 
-	nft_xt_put(container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops));
-	module_put(me);
+	if (nft_xt_put(container_of(expr->ops, struct nft_xt, ops)))
+		module_put(me);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -653,13 +661,8 @@ nft_match_select_ops(const struct nft_ctx *ctx,
 	list_for_each_entry(nft_match, &nft_match_list, head) {
 		struct xt_match *match = nft_match->ops.data;
 
-		if (nft_match_cmp(match, mt_name, rev, family)) {
-			if (!try_module_get(match->me))
-				return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
-
-			nft_match->refcnt++;
+		if (nft_match_cmp(match, mt_name, rev, family))
 			return &nft_match->ops;
-		}
 	}
 
 	match = xt_request_find_match(family, mt_name, rev);
@@ -671,7 +674,7 @@ nft_match_select_ops(const struct nft_ctx *ctx,
 	if (nft_match == NULL)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	nft_match->refcnt = 1;
+	nft_match->refcnt = 0;
 	nft_match->ops.type = &nft_match_type;
 	nft_match->ops.size = NFT_EXPR_SIZE(XT_ALIGN(match->matchsize) +
 					    nft_compat_match_offset(match));
@@ -728,13 +731,8 @@ nft_target_select_ops(const struct nft_ctx *ctx,
 	list_for_each_entry(nft_target, &nft_target_list, head) {
 		struct xt_target *target = nft_target->ops.data;
 
-		if (nft_target_cmp(target, tg_name, rev, family)) {
-			if (!try_module_get(target->me))
-				return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
-
-			nft_target->refcnt++;
+		if (nft_target_cmp(target, tg_name, rev, family))
 			return &nft_target->ops;
-		}
 	}
 
 	target = xt_request_find_target(family, tg_name, rev);
@@ -746,7 +744,7 @@ nft_target_select_ops(const struct nft_ctx *ctx,
 	if (nft_target == NULL)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	nft_target->refcnt = 1;
+	nft_target->refcnt = 0;
 	nft_target->ops.type = &nft_target_type;
 	nft_target->ops.size = NFT_EXPR_SIZE(XT_ALIGN(target->targetsize) +
 					     nft_compat_target_offset(target));
@@ -801,6 +799,32 @@ static int __init nft_compat_module_init(void)
 
 static void __exit nft_compat_module_exit(void)
 {
+	struct nft_xt *xt, *next;
+
+	/* list should be empty here, it can be non-empty only in case there
+	 * was an error that caused nft_xt expr to not be initialized fully
+	 * and noone else requested the same expression later.
+	 *
+	 * In this case, the lists contain 0-refcount entries that still
+	 * hold module reference.
+	 */
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(xt, next, &nft_target_list, head) {
+		struct xt_target *target = xt->ops.data;
+
+		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(xt->refcnt))
+			continue;
+		module_put(target->me);
+		kfree(xt);
+	}
+
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(xt, next, &nft_match_list, head) {
+		struct xt_match *match = xt->ops.data;
+
+		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(xt->refcnt))
+			continue;
+		module_put(match->me);
+		kfree(xt);
+	}
 	nfnetlink_subsys_unregister(&nfnl_compat_subsys);
 	nft_unregister_expr(&nft_target_type);
 	nft_unregister_expr(&nft_match_type);