diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
index cf4b729c92d7..b893ff8e65f5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
@@ -8400,9 +8400,6 @@ int __ixgbe_setup_tc(struct net_device *dev, u32 handle, __be16 proto,
 
 	if (TC_H_MAJ(handle) == TC_H_MAJ(TC_H_INGRESS) &&
 	    tc->type == TC_SETUP_CLSU32) {
-		if (!(dev->features & NETIF_F_HW_TC))
-			return -EINVAL;
-
 		switch (tc->cls_u32->command) {
 		case TC_CLSU32_NEW_KNODE:
 		case TC_CLSU32_REPLACE_KNODE:
diff --git a/include/net/pkt_cls.h b/include/net/pkt_cls.h
index e64d20b81047..6096e96fb78b 100644
--- a/include/net/pkt_cls.h
+++ b/include/net/pkt_cls.h
@@ -394,6 +394,9 @@ struct tc_cls_u32_offload {
 
 static inline bool tc_should_offload(struct net_device *dev)
 {
+	if (!(dev->features & NETIF_F_HW_TC))
+		return false;
+
 	return dev->netdev_ops->ndo_setup_tc;
 }