diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
index a13b9c2bd144..54f535d5d250 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/fs_core.c
@@ -1808,8 +1808,9 @@ static struct mlx5_flow_handle *add_rule_fg(struct mlx5_flow_group *fg,
 	}
 	trace_mlx5_fs_set_fte(fte, false);
 
+	/* Link newly added rules into the tree. */
 	for (i = 0; i < handle->num_rules; i++) {
-		if (refcount_read(&handle->rule[i]->node.refcount) == 1) {
+		if (!handle->rule[i]->node.parent) {
 			tree_add_node(&handle->rule[i]->node, &fte->node);
 			trace_mlx5_fs_add_rule(handle->rule[i]);
 		}