diff --git a/net/openvswitch/actions.c b/net/openvswitch/actions.c
index c88d0f2d3e01..2d59df521915 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/actions.c
+++ b/net/openvswitch/actions.c
@@ -1160,17 +1160,26 @@ int ovs_execute_actions(struct datapath *dp, struct sk_buff *skb,
 			const struct sw_flow_actions *acts,
 			struct sw_flow_key *key)
 {
-	int level = this_cpu_read(exec_actions_level);
-	int err;
+	static const int ovs_recursion_limit = 5;
+	int err, level;
+
+	level = __this_cpu_inc_return(exec_actions_level);
+	if (unlikely(level > ovs_recursion_limit)) {
+		net_crit_ratelimited("ovs: recursion limit reached on datapath %s, probable configuration error\n",
+				     ovs_dp_name(dp));
+		kfree_skb(skb);
+		err = -ENETDOWN;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
-	this_cpu_inc(exec_actions_level);
 	err = do_execute_actions(dp, skb, key,
 				 acts->actions, acts->actions_len);
 
-	if (!level)
+	if (level == 1)
 		process_deferred_actions(dp);
 
-	this_cpu_dec(exec_actions_level);
+out:
+	__this_cpu_dec(exec_actions_level);
 	return err;
 }