diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index dd577e7d100c..e496030fdc3b 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -2589,17 +2589,14 @@ static int nf_tables_newrule(struct net *net, struct sock *nlsk,
 
 		if (chain->use == UINT_MAX)
 			return -EOVERFLOW;
-	}
 
-	if (nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]) {
-		if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_CREATE))
-			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
-		pos_handle = be64_to_cpu(nla_get_be64(nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]));
-		old_rule = __nft_rule_lookup(chain, pos_handle);
-		if (IS_ERR(old_rule)) {
-			NL_SET_BAD_ATTR(extack, nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]);
-			return PTR_ERR(old_rule);
+		if (nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]) {
+			pos_handle = be64_to_cpu(nla_get_be64(nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]));
+			old_rule = __nft_rule_lookup(chain, pos_handle);
+			if (IS_ERR(old_rule)) {
+				NL_SET_BAD_ATTR(extack, nla[NFTA_RULE_POSITION]);
+				return PTR_ERR(old_rule);
+			}
 		}
 	}