diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/fs.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/fs.h
index 000ca294b0a0a9d9b736c88b1a2325e2d590b8e8..ce2c9daae2c70b81da8f10909ed3e417950bbc6c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/fs.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/fs.h
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ struct mlx5e_arfs_tables {
 	struct list_head               rules;
 	int                            last_filter_id;
 	struct workqueue_struct        *wq;
+	unsigned long                  state;
 };
 
 int mlx5e_arfs_create_tables(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_arfs.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_arfs.c
index 39475f6565c73dd5cb6cccf769e5df8f4f19987e..2e800d730231d6422c7940d2e820d3ed6fe2ebbb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_arfs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_arfs.c
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
 #include <linux/ipv6.h>
 #include "en.h"
 
+enum {
+	MLX5E_ARFS_STATE_ENABLED,
+};
+
 struct arfs_tuple {
 	__be16 etype;
 	u8     ip_proto;
@@ -132,6 +136,8 @@ int mlx5e_arfs_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 			return err;
 		}
 	}
+	set_bit(MLX5E_ARFS_STATE_ENABLED, &priv->fs.arfs.state);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -387,6 +393,8 @@ static void arfs_del_rules(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	int j;
 
 	HLIST_HEAD(del_list);
+	clear_bit(MLX5E_ARFS_STATE_ENABLED, &priv->fs.arfs.state);
+
 	spin_lock_bh(&priv->fs.arfs.arfs_lock);
 	mlx5e_for_each_arfs_rule(rule, htmp, priv->fs.arfs.arfs_tables, i, j) {
 		hlist_del_init(&rule->hlist);
@@ -552,17 +560,8 @@ static void arfs_handle_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = arfs_rule->priv;
 	struct mlx5_flow_handle *rule;
 
-	mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
-	if (!test_bit(MLX5E_STATE_OPENED, &priv->state)) {
-		spin_lock_bh(&priv->fs.arfs.arfs_lock);
-		hlist_del(&arfs_rule->hlist);
-		spin_unlock_bh(&priv->fs.arfs.arfs_lock);
-
-		mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
-		kfree(arfs_rule);
-		goto out;
-	}
-	mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
+	if (!test_bit(MLX5E_ARFS_STATE_ENABLED, &priv->fs.arfs.state))
+		return;
 
 	if (!arfs_rule->rule) {
 		rule = arfs_add_rule(priv, arfs_rule);
@@ -673,6 +672,11 @@ int mlx5e_rx_flow_steer(struct net_device *dev, const struct sk_buff *skb,
 		return -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
 
 	spin_lock_bh(&arfs->arfs_lock);
+	if (!test_bit(MLX5E_ARFS_STATE_ENABLED, &arfs->state)) {
+		spin_unlock_bh(&arfs->arfs_lock);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+
 	arfs_rule = arfs_find_rule(arfs_t, &fk);
 	if (arfs_rule) {
 		if (arfs_rule->rxq == rxq_index) {