diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
index 96da8a59d8f0..603dfc62bfca 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api.c
@@ -754,6 +754,13 @@ const char *vcap_keyfield_name(struct vcap_control *vctrl,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vcap_keyfield_name);
 
+/* map action field id to a string with the action name */
+static const char *vcap_actionfield_name(struct vcap_control *vctrl,
+					 enum vcap_action_field action)
+{
+	return vctrl->stats->actionfield_names[action];
+}
+
 /* Return the keyfield that matches a key in a keyset */
 static const struct vcap_field *
 vcap_find_keyset_keyfield(struct vcap_control *vctrl,
@@ -1126,14 +1133,60 @@ static void vcap_copy_from_client_keyfield(struct vcap_rule *rule,
 	memcpy(&field->data, data, sizeof(field->data));
 }
 
+/* Check if the keyfield is already in the rule */
+static bool vcap_keyfield_unique(struct vcap_rule *rule,
+				 enum vcap_key_field key)
+{
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
+	const struct vcap_client_keyfield *ckf;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(ckf, &ri->data.keyfields, ctrl.list)
+		if (ckf->ctrl.key == key)
+			return false;
+	return true;
+}
+
+/* Check if the keyfield is in the keyset */
+static bool vcap_keyfield_match_keyset(struct vcap_rule *rule,
+				       enum vcap_key_field key)
+{
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
+	enum vcap_keyfield_set keyset = rule->keyset;
+	enum vcap_type vt = ri->admin->vtype;
+	const struct vcap_field *fields;
+
+	/* the field is accepted if the rule has no keyset yet */
+	if (keyset == VCAP_KFS_NO_VALUE)
+		return true;
+	fields = vcap_keyfields(ri->vctrl, vt, keyset);
+	if (!fields)
+		return false;
+	/* if there is a width there is a way */
+	return fields[key].width > 0;
+}
+
 static int vcap_rule_add_key(struct vcap_rule *rule,
 			     enum vcap_key_field key,
 			     enum vcap_field_type ftype,
 			     struct vcap_client_keyfield_data *data)
 {
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
 	struct vcap_client_keyfield *field;
 
-	/* More validation will be added here later */
+	if (!vcap_keyfield_unique(rule, key)) {
+		pr_warn("%s:%d: keyfield %s is already in the rule\n",
+			__func__, __LINE__,
+			vcap_keyfield_name(ri->vctrl, key));
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (!vcap_keyfield_match_keyset(rule, key)) {
+		pr_err("%s:%d: keyfield %s does not belong in the rule keyset\n",
+		       __func__, __LINE__,
+		       vcap_keyfield_name(ri->vctrl, key));
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	field = kzalloc(sizeof(*field), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!field)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -1226,14 +1279,60 @@ static void vcap_copy_from_client_actionfield(struct vcap_rule *rule,
 	memcpy(&field->data, data, sizeof(field->data));
 }
 
+/* Check if the actionfield is already in the rule */
+static bool vcap_actionfield_unique(struct vcap_rule *rule,
+				    enum vcap_action_field act)
+{
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
+	const struct vcap_client_actionfield *caf;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(caf, &ri->data.actionfields, ctrl.list)
+		if (caf->ctrl.action == act)
+			return false;
+	return true;
+}
+
+/* Check if the actionfield is in the actionset */
+static bool vcap_actionfield_match_actionset(struct vcap_rule *rule,
+					     enum vcap_action_field action)
+{
+	enum vcap_actionfield_set actionset = rule->actionset;
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
+	enum vcap_type vt = ri->admin->vtype;
+	const struct vcap_field *fields;
+
+	/* the field is accepted if the rule has no actionset yet */
+	if (actionset == VCAP_AFS_NO_VALUE)
+		return true;
+	fields = vcap_actionfields(ri->vctrl, vt, actionset);
+	if (!fields)
+		return false;
+	/* if there is a width there is a way */
+	return fields[action].width > 0;
+}
+
 static int vcap_rule_add_action(struct vcap_rule *rule,
 				enum vcap_action_field action,
 				enum vcap_field_type ftype,
 				struct vcap_client_actionfield_data *data)
 {
+	struct vcap_rule_internal *ri = to_intrule(rule);
 	struct vcap_client_actionfield *field;
 
-	/* More validation will be added here later */
+	if (!vcap_actionfield_unique(rule, action)) {
+		pr_warn("%s:%d: actionfield %s is already in the rule\n",
+			__func__, __LINE__,
+			vcap_actionfield_name(ri->vctrl, action));
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (!vcap_actionfield_match_actionset(rule, action)) {
+		pr_err("%s:%d: actionfield %s does not belong in the rule actionset\n",
+		       __func__, __LINE__,
+		       vcap_actionfield_name(ri->vctrl, action));
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	field = kzalloc(sizeof(*field), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!field)
 		return -ENOMEM;
