diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index 1606eaa5ae0d..f2e12ae50544 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -214,33 +214,33 @@ static int nft_deltable(struct nft_ctx *ctx)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int nft_trans_chain_add(struct nft_ctx *ctx, int msg_type)
+static struct nft_trans *nft_trans_chain_add(struct nft_ctx *ctx, int msg_type)
 {
 	struct nft_trans *trans;
 
 	trans = nft_trans_alloc(ctx, msg_type, sizeof(struct nft_trans_chain));
 	if (trans == NULL)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	if (msg_type == NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN)
 		nft_activate_next(ctx->net, ctx->chain);
 
 	list_add_tail(&trans->list, &ctx->net->nft.commit_list);
-	return 0;
+	return trans;
 }
 
 static int nft_delchain(struct nft_ctx *ctx)
 {
-	int err;
+	struct nft_trans *trans;
 
-	err = nft_trans_chain_add(ctx, NFT_MSG_DELCHAIN);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return err;
+	trans = nft_trans_chain_add(ctx, NFT_MSG_DELCHAIN);
+	if (IS_ERR(trans))
+		return PTR_ERR(trans);
 
 	ctx->table->use--;
 	nft_deactivate_next(ctx->net, ctx->chain);
 
-	return err;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void nft_rule_expr_activate(const struct nft_ctx *ctx,
@@ -1615,6 +1615,7 @@ static int nf_tables_addchain(struct nft_ctx *ctx, u8 family, u8 genmask,
 	struct nft_base_chain *basechain;
 	struct nft_stats __percpu *stats;
 	struct net *net = ctx->net;
+	struct nft_trans *trans;
 	struct nft_chain *chain;
 	struct nft_rule **rules;
 	int err;
@@ -1662,7 +1663,7 @@ static int nf_tables_addchain(struct nft_ctx *ctx, u8 family, u8 genmask,
 		ops->dev	= hook.dev;
 
 		chain->flags |= NFT_BASE_CHAIN;
-		basechain->policy = policy;
+		basechain->policy = NF_ACCEPT;
 	} else {
 		chain = kzalloc(sizeof(*chain), GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (chain == NULL)
@@ -1698,13 +1699,18 @@ static int nf_tables_addchain(struct nft_ctx *ctx, u8 family, u8 genmask,
 	if (err)
 		goto err2;
 
-	err = nft_trans_chain_add(ctx, NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN);
-	if (err < 0) {
+	trans = nft_trans_chain_add(ctx, NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN);
+	if (IS_ERR(trans)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(trans);
 		rhltable_remove(&table->chains_ht, &chain->rhlhead,
 				nft_chain_ht_params);
 		goto err2;
 	}
 
+	nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) = -1;
+	if (nft_is_base_chain(chain))
+		nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) = policy;
+
 	table->use++;
 	list_add_tail_rcu(&chain->list, &table->chains);
 
@@ -6311,6 +6317,27 @@ static int nf_tables_validate(struct net *net)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/* a drop policy has to be deferred until all rules have been activated,
+ * otherwise a large ruleset that contains a drop-policy base chain will
+ * cause all packets to get dropped until the full transaction has been
+ * processed.
+ *
+ * We defer the drop policy until the transaction has been finalized.
+ */
+static void nft_chain_commit_drop_policy(struct nft_trans *trans)
+{
+	struct nft_base_chain *basechain;
+
+	if (nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) != NF_DROP)
+		return;
+
+	if (!nft_is_base_chain(trans->ctx.chain))
+		return;
+
+	basechain = nft_base_chain(trans->ctx.chain);
+	basechain->policy = NF_DROP;
+}
+
 static void nft_chain_commit_update(struct nft_trans *trans)
 {
 	struct nft_base_chain *basechain;
@@ -6632,6 +6659,7 @@ static int nf_tables_commit(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb)
 				nf_tables_chain_notify(&trans->ctx, NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN);
 				/* trans destroyed after rcu grace period */
 			} else {
+				nft_chain_commit_drop_policy(trans);
 				nft_clear(net, trans->ctx.chain);
 				nf_tables_chain_notify(&trans->ctx, NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN);
 				nft_trans_destroy(trans);