diff --git a/net/sched/cls_route.c b/net/sched/cls_route.c
index 17b0ebb76662..9710b77d379c 100644
--- a/net/sched/cls_route.c
+++ b/net/sched/cls_route.c
@@ -460,8 +460,12 @@ static int route4_set_parms(struct net *net, struct tcf_proto *tp,
 		for (fp = rtnl_dereference(b->ht[h2]);
 		     fp;
 		     fp = rtnl_dereference(fp->next))
-			if (fp->handle == f->handle)
+			if (fp->handle == nhandle) {
+				NL_SET_ERR_MSG_FMT(extack,
+						   "Handle %x is already in use",
+						   nhandle);
 				return -EEXIST;
+			}
 
 		refcount_inc(&b->filters_ref);
 	}