diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_rateest.c b/net/netfilter/xt_rateest.c
index 76a083184d8e..ed0db15ab00e 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_rateest.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_rateest.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static int xt_rateest_mt_checkentry(const struct xt_mtchk_param *par)
 {
 	struct xt_rateest_match_info *info = par->matchinfo;
 	struct xt_rateest *est1, *est2;
-	int ret = false;
+	int ret = -EINVAL;
 
 	if (hweight32(info->flags & (XT_RATEEST_MATCH_ABS |
 				     XT_RATEEST_MATCH_REL)) != 1)
@@ -101,13 +101,12 @@ static int xt_rateest_mt_checkentry(const struct xt_mtchk_param *par)
 	if (!est1)
 		goto err1;
 
+	est2 = NULL;
 	if (info->flags & XT_RATEEST_MATCH_REL) {
 		est2 = xt_rateest_lookup(info->name2);
 		if (!est2)
 			goto err2;
-	} else
-		est2 = NULL;
-
+	}
 
 	info->est1 = est1;
 	info->est2 = est2;
@@ -116,7 +115,7 @@ static int xt_rateest_mt_checkentry(const struct xt_mtchk_param *par)
 err2:
 	xt_rateest_put(est1);
 err1:
-	return -EINVAL;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static void xt_rateest_mt_destroy(const struct xt_mtdtor_param *par)