--- a/include/linux/netfilter_ipv4/ip_tables.h
+++ b/include/linux/netfilter_ipv4/ip_tables.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ struct ipt_ip {
 #define IPT_F_FRAG		0x01	/* Set if rule is a fragment rule */
 #define IPT_F_GOTO		0x02	/* Set if jump is a goto */
 #define IPT_F_MASK		0x03	/* All possible flag bits mask. */
+#define IPT_F_NO_DEF_MATCH	0x80	/* Internal: no default match rules present */
 
 /* Values for "inv" field in struct ipt_ip. */
 #define IPT_INV_VIA_IN		0x01	/* Invert the sense of IN IFACE. */
--- a/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_tables.c
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ ip_packet_match(const struct iphdr *ip,
 
 #define FWINV(bool, invflg) ((bool) ^ !!(ipinfo->invflags & (invflg)))
 
+	if (ipinfo->flags & IPT_F_NO_DEF_MATCH)
+		return true;
+
 	if (FWINV((ip->saddr&ipinfo->smsk.s_addr) != ipinfo->src.s_addr,
 		  IPT_INV_SRCIP)
 	    || FWINV((ip->daddr&ipinfo->dmsk.s_addr) != ipinfo->dst.s_addr,
@@ -137,13 +140,32 @@ ip_packet_match(const struct iphdr *ip,
 		return false;
 	}
 
+#undef FWINV
 	return true;
 }
 
 static bool
-ip_checkentry(const struct ipt_ip *ip)
+ip_checkentry(struct ipt_ip *ip)
 {
-	if (ip->flags & ~IPT_F_MASK) {
+#define FWINV(bool, invflg) ((bool) || (ip->invflags & (invflg)))
+
+	if (FWINV(ip->smsk.s_addr, IPT_INV_SRCIP) ||
+		FWINV(ip->dmsk.s_addr, IPT_INV_DSTIP))
+		goto has_match_rules;
+
+	if (FWINV(!!((const unsigned long *)ip->iniface_mask)[0],
+		IPT_INV_VIA_IN) ||
+	    FWINV(!!((const unsigned long *)ip->outiface_mask)[0],
+		IPT_INV_VIA_OUT))
+		goto has_match_rules;
+
+	if (FWINV(ip->flags&IPT_F_FRAG, IPT_INV_FRAG))
+		goto has_match_rules;
+
+	ip->flags |= IPT_F_NO_DEF_MATCH;
+
+has_match_rules:
+	if (ip->flags & ~(IPT_F_MASK|IPT_F_NO_DEF_MATCH)) {
 		duprintf("Unknown flag bits set: %08X\n",
 			 ip->flags & ~IPT_F_MASK);
 		return false;
@@ -153,6 +175,8 @@ ip_checkentry(const struct ipt_ip *ip)
 			 ip->invflags & ~IPT_INV_MASK);
 		return false;
 	}
+
+#undef FWINV
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -200,7 +224,6 @@ unconditional(const struct ipt_ip *ip)
 			return 0;
 
 	return 1;
-#undef FWINV
 }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_NETFILTER_XT_TARGET_TRACE) || \
