diff --git a/net/sched/ematch.c b/net/sched/ematch.c
index ebfe2e7d21bdff98494baf479c2cca37c4175b99..64b047c65568cafe0912b92f7bb18b7e56031c25 100644
--- a/net/sched/ematch.c
+++ b/net/sched/ematch.c
@@ -298,6 +298,11 @@ int tcf_em_tree_validate(struct tcf_proto *tp, struct rtattr *rta,
 	struct tcf_ematch_tree_hdr *tree_hdr;
 	struct tcf_ematch *em;
 
+	if (!rta) {
+		memset(tree, 0, sizeof(*tree));
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (rtattr_parse_nested(tb, TCA_EMATCH_TREE_MAX, rta) < 0)
 		goto errout;