diff --git a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
index a81b46af5118..cb4b694dd9e4 100644
--- a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
+++ b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@ struct xt_counters *xt_counters_alloc(unsigned int counters);
 
 struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct net *net,
 				   const struct xt_table *table,
+				   const struct nf_hook_ops *template_ops,
 				   struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
 				   struct xt_table_info *newinfo);
 void *xt_unregister_table(struct xt_table *table);
diff --git a/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c b/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
index 97ead883e4a1..c02e46a0271a 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/arp_tables.c
@@ -1522,13 +1522,11 @@ int arpt_register_table(struct net *net,
 			const struct arpt_replace *repl,
 			const struct nf_hook_ops *template_ops)
 {
-	struct nf_hook_ops *ops;
-	unsigned int num_ops;
-	int ret, i;
-	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap = {0};
-	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table *new_table;
+	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	int ret;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo)
@@ -1543,7 +1541,7 @@ int arpt_register_table(struct net *net,
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, template_ops, &bootstrap, newinfo);
 	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		struct arpt_entry *iter;
 
@@ -1553,31 +1551,6 @@ int arpt_register_table(struct net *net,
 		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
-	num_ops = hweight32(table->valid_hooks);
-	if (num_ops == 0) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	ops = kmemdup_array(template_ops, num_ops, sizeof(*ops), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ops) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < num_ops; i++)
-		ops[i].priv = new_table;
-
-	new_table->ops = ops;
-
-	ret = nf_register_net_hooks(net, ops, num_ops);
-	if (ret != 0)
-		goto out_free;
-
-	return ret;
-
-out_free:
-	__arpt_unregister_table(net, new_table);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c b/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
index 23c8deff8095..488c5945ebb2 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
@@ -1724,13 +1724,11 @@ int ipt_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 		       const struct ipt_replace *repl,
 		       const struct nf_hook_ops *template_ops)
 {
-	struct nf_hook_ops *ops;
-	unsigned int num_ops;
-	int ret, i;
-	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap = {0};
-	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table *new_table;
+	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	int ret;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo)
@@ -1745,7 +1743,7 @@ int ipt_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, template_ops, &bootstrap, newinfo);
 	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		struct ipt_entry *iter;
 
@@ -1755,37 +1753,6 @@ int ipt_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
-	/* No template? No need to do anything. This is used by 'nat' table, it registers
-	 * with the nat core instead of the netfilter core.
-	 */
-	if (!template_ops)
-		return 0;
-
-	num_ops = hweight32(table->valid_hooks);
-	if (num_ops == 0) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	ops = kmemdup_array(template_ops, num_ops, sizeof(*ops), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ops) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < num_ops; i++)
-		ops[i].priv = new_table;
-
-	new_table->ops = ops;
-
-	ret = nf_register_net_hooks(net, ops, num_ops);
-	if (ret != 0)
-		goto out_free;
-
-	return ret;
-
-out_free:
-	__ipt_unregister_table(net, new_table);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c b/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
index d585ac3c1113..dbe7c7acd702 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/netfilter/ip6_tables.c
@@ -1733,13 +1733,11 @@ int ip6t_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 			const struct ip6t_replace *repl,
 			const struct nf_hook_ops *template_ops)
 {
-	struct nf_hook_ops *ops;
-	unsigned int num_ops;
-	int ret, i;
-	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table_info bootstrap = {0};
-	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	struct xt_table_info *newinfo;
 	struct xt_table *new_table;
+	void *loc_cpu_entry;
+	int ret;
 
 	newinfo = xt_alloc_table_info(repl->size);
 	if (!newinfo)
@@ -1754,7 +1752,7 @@ int ip6t_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, &bootstrap, newinfo);
+	new_table = xt_register_table(net, table, template_ops, &bootstrap, newinfo);
 	if (IS_ERR(new_table)) {
 		struct ip6t_entry *iter;
 
@@ -1764,34 +1762,6 @@ int ip6t_register_table(struct net *net, const struct xt_table *table,
 		return PTR_ERR(new_table);
 	}
 
-	if (!template_ops)
-		return 0;
-
-	num_ops = hweight32(table->valid_hooks);
-	if (num_ops == 0) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	ops = kmemdup_array(template_ops, num_ops, sizeof(*ops), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ops) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < num_ops; i++)
-		ops[i].priv = new_table;
-
-	new_table->ops = ops;
-
-	ret = nf_register_net_hooks(net, ops, num_ops);
-	if (ret != 0)
-		goto out_free;
-
-	return ret;
-
-out_free:
-	__ip6t_unregister_table(net, new_table);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
index bb0cb3959551..06f27bea9eed 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
@@ -1542,7 +1542,6 @@ xt_replace_table(struct xt_table *table, unsigned int num_counters,
 	private = do_replace_table(table, num_counters, newinfo, error);
 	if (private)
 		audit_log_nfcfg(table->name, table->af, private->number,
-				!private->number ? AUDIT_XT_OP_REGISTER :
 				AUDIT_XT_OP_REPLACE,
 				GFP_KERNEL);
 
@@ -1552,20 +1551,32 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xt_replace_table);
 
 struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct net *net,
 				   const struct xt_table *input_table,
+				   const struct nf_hook_ops *template_ops,
 				   struct xt_table_info *bootstrap,
 				   struct xt_table_info *newinfo)
 {
 	struct xt_pernet *xt_net = net_generic(net, xt_pernet_id);
+	struct xt_table *t, *table = NULL;
+	struct nf_hook_ops *ops = NULL;
 	struct xt_table_info *private;
-	struct xt_table *t, *table;
-	int ret;
+	unsigned int num_ops;
+	int ret = -EINVAL;
+
+	num_ops = hweight32(input_table->valid_hooks);
+	if (num_ops == 0)
+		goto out;
+
+	ret = -ENOMEM;
+	if (template_ops) {
+		ops = kmemdup_array(template_ops, num_ops, sizeof(*ops), GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (!ops)
+			goto out;
+	}
 
 	/* Don't add one object to multiple lists. */
 	table = kmemdup(input_table, sizeof(struct xt_table), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!table) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
+	if (!table)
 		goto out;
-	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
 	/* Don't autoload: we'd eat our tail... */
@@ -1579,7 +1590,7 @@ struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct net *net,
 	/* Simplifies replace_table code. */
 	table->private = bootstrap;
 
-	if (!xt_replace_table(table, 0, newinfo, &ret))
+	if (!do_replace_table(table, 0, newinfo, &ret))
 		goto unlock;
 
 	private = table->private;
@@ -1588,14 +1599,37 @@ struct xt_table *xt_register_table(struct net *net,
 	/* save number of initial entries */
 	private->initial_entries = private->number;
 
+	if (ops) {
+		int i;
+
+		for (i = 0; i < num_ops; i++)
+			ops[i].priv = table;
+
+		ret = nf_register_net_hooks(net, ops, num_ops);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			mutex_unlock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
+			/* nf_register_net_hooks() might have published a
+			 * base chain before internal error unwind.
+			 */
+			synchronize_rcu();
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		table->ops = ops;
+	}
+
+	audit_log_nfcfg(table->name, table->af, private->number,
+			AUDIT_XT_OP_REGISTER, GFP_KERNEL);
+
 	list_add(&table->list, &xt_net->tables[table->af]);
 	mutex_unlock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
 	return table;
 
 unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&xt[table->af].mutex);
-	kfree(table);
 out:
+	kfree(table);
+	kfree(ops);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xt_register_table);