diff --git a/net/sched/act_api.c b/net/sched/act_api.c
index 19501dc99464..3f653721c45f 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_api.c
@@ -1218,11 +1218,16 @@ static int tcf_action_put(struct tc_action *p)
 
 static void tcf_action_put_many(struct tc_action *actions[])
 {
-	struct tc_action *a;
 	int i;
 
-	tcf_act_for_each_action(i, a, actions) {
-		const struct tc_action_ops *ops = a->ops;
+	/* Deletion may have cleared entries before failing. */
+	for (i = 0; i < TCA_ACT_MAX_PRIO; i++) {
+		struct tc_action *a = actions[i];
+		const struct tc_action_ops *ops;
+
+		if (!a)
+			continue;
+		ops = a->ops;
 		if (tcf_action_put(a))
 			module_put(ops->owner);
 	}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/batch-delete.json b/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/batch-delete.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ef7ca4a6775b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/batch-delete.json
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+[
+    {
+        "id": "d710",
+        "name": "Release tail references after first action deletion fails",
+        "category": [
+            "actions",
+            "gact"
+        ],
+        "plugins": {
+            "requires": "nsPlugin"
+        },
+        "setup": [
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ],
+            "$TC qdisc add dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 1",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 2",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 3",
+            "$TC filter add dev $DEV1 protocol ip ingress u32 match u32 0 0 action gact index 1"
+        ],
+        "cmdUnderTest": "$TC actions del action gact index 1 action gact index 2 action gact index 3",
+        "expExitCode": "255",
+        "verifyCmd": "$TC actions ls action gact",
+        "matchPattern": "total acts 3\\b.*index 1 ref 2 bind 1\\b.*index 2 ref 1 bind 0\\b.*index 3 ref 1 bind 0\\b",
+        "matchCount": "1",
+        "teardown": [
+            "$TC qdisc del dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ]
+        ]
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "d711",
+        "name": "Release tail references after middle action deletion fails",
+        "category": [
+            "actions",
+            "gact"
+        ],
+        "plugins": {
+            "requires": "nsPlugin"
+        },
+        "setup": [
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ],
+            "$TC qdisc add dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 1",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 2",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 3",
+            "$TC filter add dev $DEV1 protocol ip ingress u32 match u32 0 0 action gact index 2"
+        ],
+        "cmdUnderTest": "$TC actions del action gact index 1 action gact index 2 action gact index 3",
+        "expExitCode": "255",
+        "verifyCmd": "$TC actions ls action gact",
+        "matchPattern": "total acts 2\\b.*index 2 ref 2 bind 1\\b.*index 3 ref 1 bind 0\\b",
+        "matchCount": "1",
+        "teardown": [
+            "$TC qdisc del dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ]
+        ]
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "d713",
+        "name": "Delete a tail action once after a failed batch",
+        "category": [
+            "actions",
+            "gact"
+        ],
+        "plugins": {
+            "requires": "nsPlugin"
+        },
+        "setup": [
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ],
+            "$TC qdisc add dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 1",
+            "$TC actions add action pass index 2",
+            "$TC filter add dev $DEV1 protocol ip ingress u32 match u32 0 0 action gact index 1"
+        ],
+        "cmdUnderTest": "$TC actions del action gact index 1 action gact index 2",
+        "expExitCode": "255",
+        "verifyCmd": "sh -c '$TC actions del action gact index 2 && $TC actions ls action gact'",
+        "matchPattern": "total acts 1\\b.*index 1 ref 2 bind 1\\b",
+        "matchCount": "1",
+        "teardown": [
+            "$TC qdisc del dev $DEV1 ingress",
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action gact",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ]
+        ]
+    }
+]