diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf.h
index a61821333f5d..dab36c0c3cdc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf.h
@@ -284,8 +284,7 @@ struct idpf_port_stats {
 
 struct idpf_fsteer_fltr {
 	struct list_head list;
-	u32 loc;
-	u32 q_index;
+	struct ethtool_rx_flow_spec fs;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_ethtool.c
index 00481fec8179..7000f6283a33 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_ethtool.c
@@ -54,11 +54,15 @@ static int idpf_get_rxnfc(struct net_device *netdev, struct ethtool_rxnfc *cmd,
 		cmd->data = idpf_fsteer_max_rules(vport);
 		break;
 	case ETHTOOL_GRXCLSRULE:
-		err = -EINVAL;
+		err = -ENOENT;
 		spin_lock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
 		list_for_each_entry(f, &user_config->flow_steer_list, list)
-			if (f->loc == cmd->fs.location) {
-				cmd->fs.ring_cookie = f->q_index;
+			if (f->fs.location == cmd->fs.location) {
+				/* Avoid infoleak from padding: zero first,
+				 * then assign fields
+				 */
+				memset(&cmd->fs, 0, sizeof(cmd->fs));
+				cmd->fs = f->fs;
 				err = 0;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ static int idpf_get_rxnfc(struct net_device *netdev, struct ethtool_rxnfc *cmd,
 				err = -EMSGSIZE;
 				break;
 			}
-			rule_locs[cnt] = f->loc;
+			rule_locs[cnt] = f->fs.location;
 			cnt++;
 		}
 		if (!err)
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ static int idpf_add_flow_steer(struct net_device *netdev,
 	struct idpf_vport *vport;
 	u32 flow_type, q_index;
 	u16 num_rxq;
-	int err;
+	int err = 0;
 
 	vport = idpf_netdev_to_vport(netdev);
 	vport_config = vport->adapter->vport_config[np->vport_idx];
@@ -200,6 +204,29 @@ static int idpf_add_flow_steer(struct net_device *netdev,
 	if (!rule)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	fltr = kzalloc(sizeof(*fltr), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!fltr) {
+		err = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out_free_rule;
+	}
+
+	/* detect duplicate entry and reject before adding rules */
+	spin_lock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
+	list_for_each_entry(f, &user_config->flow_steer_list, list) {
+		if (f->fs.location == fsp->location) {
+			err = -EEXIST;
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (f->fs.location > fsp->location)
+			break;
+		parent = f;
+	}
+	spin_unlock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
+
+	if (err)
+		goto out;
+
 	rule->vport_id = cpu_to_le32(vport->vport_id);
 	rule->count = cpu_to_le32(1);
 	info = &rule->rule_info[0];
@@ -238,28 +265,20 @@ static int idpf_add_flow_steer(struct net_device *netdev,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	fltr = kzalloc(sizeof(*fltr), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!fltr) {
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out;
-	}
+	/* Save a copy of the user's flow spec so ethtool can later retrieve it */
+	fltr->fs = *fsp;
 
-	fltr->loc = fsp->location;
-	fltr->q_index = q_index;
 	spin_lock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
-	list_for_each_entry(f, &user_config->flow_steer_list, list) {
-		if (f->loc >= fltr->loc)
-			break;
-		parent = f;
-	}
-
 	parent ? list_add(&fltr->list, &parent->list) :
 		 list_add(&fltr->list, &user_config->flow_steer_list);
 
 	user_config->num_fsteer_fltrs++;
 	spin_unlock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
+	goto out_free_rule;
 
 out:
+	kfree(fltr);
+out_free_rule:
 	kfree(rule);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -313,14 +332,14 @@ static int idpf_del_flow_steer(struct net_device *netdev,
 	spin_lock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(f, iter,
 				 &user_config->flow_steer_list, list) {
-		if (f->loc == fsp->location) {
+		if (f->fs.location == fsp->location) {
 			list_del(&f->list);
 			kfree(f);
 			user_config->num_fsteer_fltrs--;
 			goto out_unlock;
 		}
 	}
-	err = -EINVAL;
+	err = -ENOENT;
 
 out_unlock:
 	spin_unlock_bh(&vport_config->flow_steer_list_lock);