diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
index 38c680f28f157f1346e6047c661d93170de0f8cf..d11f1a74d43c91124043128ac7df116530760f49 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c
@@ -5082,6 +5082,11 @@ static int nft_add_set_elem(struct nft_ctx *ctx, struct nft_set *set,
 				err = -EBUSY;
 			else if (!(nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_EXCL))
 				err = 0;
+		} else if (err == -ENOTEMPTY) {
+			/* ENOTEMPTY reports overlapping between this element
+			 * and an existing one.
+			 */
+			err = -EEXIST;
 		}
 		goto err_element_clash;
 	}