diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index bd0732d5d219..54bae797b338 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -513,7 +513,13 @@ static int mlx5e_create_rq(struct mlx5e_channel *c,
 	rq->channel = c;
 	rq->ix      = c->ix;
 	rq->priv    = c->priv;
-	rq->xdp_prog = priv->xdp_prog;
+
+	rq->xdp_prog = priv->xdp_prog ? bpf_prog_inc(priv->xdp_prog) : NULL;
+	if (IS_ERR(rq->xdp_prog)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(rq->xdp_prog);
+		rq->xdp_prog = NULL;
+		goto err_rq_wq_destroy;
+	}
 
 	rq->buff.map_dir = DMA_FROM_DEVICE;
 	if (rq->xdp_prog)
@@ -590,12 +596,11 @@ static int mlx5e_create_rq(struct mlx5e_channel *c,
 	rq->page_cache.head = 0;
 	rq->page_cache.tail = 0;
 
-	if (rq->xdp_prog)
-		bpf_prog_add(rq->xdp_prog, 1);
-
 	return 0;
 
 err_rq_wq_destroy:
+	if (rq->xdp_prog)
+		bpf_prog_put(rq->xdp_prog);
 	mlx5_wq_destroy(&rq->wq_ctrl);
 
 	return err;
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
index ce1b7de7d72c..eb15498b8d55 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
@@ -696,6 +696,7 @@ struct bpf_prog *bpf_prog_inc(struct bpf_prog *prog)
 {
 	return bpf_prog_add(prog, 1);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(bpf_prog_inc);
 
 static struct bpf_prog *__bpf_prog_get(u32 ufd, enum bpf_prog_type *type)
 {