diff --git a/include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h b/include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h
index 2655e03dbe1b..a26d64056fc8 100644
--- a/include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h
+++ b/include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h
@@ -889,6 +889,8 @@ enum nft_chain_flags {
 	NFT_CHAIN_HW_OFFLOAD		= 0x2,
 };
 
+#define NFT_CHAIN_POLICY_UNSET		U8_MAX
+
 /**
  *	struct nft_chain - nf_tables chain
  *
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index e4a68dc42694..4a5d6ef2b706 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@ static int nf_tables_addchain(struct nft_ctx *ctx, u8 family, u8 genmask,
 		goto err2;
 	}
 
-	nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) = -1;
+	nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) = NFT_CHAIN_POLICY_UNSET;
 	if (nft_is_base_chain(chain))
 		nft_trans_chain_policy(trans) = policy;