diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_protocol_type.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_protocol_type.h
index a1543e995fa1..82491f6af6d0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_protocol_type.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_protocol_type.h
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ struct ice_nvgre_hdr {
  * M = EVLAN (0x8100) - Outer L2 header has EVLAN (ethernet type 0x8100)
  * N = EVLAN (0x9100) - Outer L2 header has EVLAN (ethernet type 0x9100)
  */
+#define ICE_PKT_FROM_NETWORK	BIT(3)
 #define ICE_PKT_VLAN_STAG	BIT(12)
 #define ICE_PKT_VLAN_ITAG	BIT(13)
 #define ICE_PKT_VLAN_EVLAN	(BIT(14) | BIT(15))
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.c
index 87d5ce0c8cb3..28fb175f0fe4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.c
@@ -6143,14 +6143,21 @@ ice_adv_add_update_vsi_list(struct ice_hw *hw,
 void ice_rule_add_tunnel_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup)
 {
 	lkup->type = ICE_HW_METADATA;
-	lkup->m_u.metadata.flags[ICE_PKT_FLAGS_TUNNEL] =
+	lkup->m_u.metadata.flags[ICE_PKT_FLAGS_TUNNEL] |=
 		cpu_to_be16(ICE_PKT_TUNNEL_MASK);
 }
 
+void ice_rule_add_direction_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup)
+{
+	lkup->type = ICE_HW_METADATA;
+	lkup->m_u.metadata.flags[ICE_PKT_FLAGS_VLAN] |=
+		cpu_to_be16(ICE_PKT_FROM_NETWORK);
+}
+
 void ice_rule_add_vlan_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup)
 {
 	lkup->type = ICE_HW_METADATA;
-	lkup->m_u.metadata.flags[ICE_PKT_FLAGS_VLAN] =
+	lkup->m_u.metadata.flags[ICE_PKT_FLAGS_VLAN] |=
 		cpu_to_be16(ICE_PKT_VLAN_MASK);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.h
index f2ff8fbfe9b6..ee24707071a1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_switch.h
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ int ice_share_res(struct ice_hw *hw, u16 type, u8 shared, u16 res_id);
 
 /* Switch/bridge related commands */
 void ice_rule_add_tunnel_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup);
+void ice_rule_add_direction_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup);
 void ice_rule_add_vlan_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup);
 void ice_rule_add_src_vsi_metadata(struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *lkup);
 int
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_tc_lib.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_tc_lib.c
index 6bbf99b5e112..c4a14eaacc5c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_tc_lib.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_tc_lib.c
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include "ice_lib.h"
 #include "ice_protocol_type.h"
 
+#define ICE_TC_METADATA_LKUP_IDX 0
+
 /**
  * ice_tc_count_lkups - determine lookup count for switch filter
  * @flags: TC-flower flags
@@ -19,7 +21,13 @@ static int
 ice_tc_count_lkups(u32 flags, struct ice_tc_flower_lyr_2_4_hdrs *headers,
 		   struct ice_tc_flower_fltr *fltr)
 {
-	int lkups_cnt = 0;
+	int lkups_cnt = 1; /* 0th lookup is metadata */
+
+	/* Always add metadata as the 0th lookup. Included elements:
+	 * - Direction flag (always present)
+	 * - ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_VLAN_TPID (present if specified)
+	 * - Tunnel flag (present if tunnel)
+	 */
 
 	if (flags & ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_TENANT_ID)
 		lkups_cnt++;
@@ -57,10 +65,6 @@ ice_tc_count_lkups(u32 flags, struct ice_tc_flower_lyr_2_4_hdrs *headers,
 	if (flags & (ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_VLAN | ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_VLAN_PRIO))
 		lkups_cnt++;
 
-	/* is VLAN TPID specified */
-	if (flags & ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_VLAN_TPID)
-		lkups_cnt++;
-
 	/* is CVLAN specified? */
 	if (flags & (ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_CVLAN | ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_CVLAN_PRIO))
 		lkups_cnt++;
@@ -87,10 +91,6 @@ ice_tc_count_lkups(u32 flags, struct ice_tc_flower_lyr_2_4_hdrs *headers,
 		     ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_SRC_L4_PORT))
 		lkups_cnt++;
 
-	/* matching for tunneled packets in metadata */
-	if (fltr->tunnel_type != TNL_LAST)
-		lkups_cnt++;
-
 	return lkups_cnt;
 }
 
@@ -183,10 +183,9 @@ static u16 ice_check_supported_vlan_tpid(u16 vlan_tpid)
 
 static int
 ice_tc_fill_tunnel_outer(u32 flags, struct ice_tc_flower_fltr *fltr,
-			 struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *list)
+			 struct ice_adv_lkup_elem *list, int i)
 {
 	struct ice_tc_flower_lyr_2_4_hdrs *hdr = &fltr->outer_headers;
-	int i = 0;
 
 	if (flags & ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_TENANT_ID) {
 		u32 tenant_id;
@@ -351,8 +350,7 @@ ice_tc_fill_tunnel_outer(u32 flags, struct ice_tc_flower_fltr *fltr,
 	}
 
 	/* always fill matching on tunneled packets in metadata */
-	ice_rule_add_tunnel_metadata(&list[i]);
-	i++;
+	ice_rule_add_tunnel_metadata(&list[ICE_TC_METADATA_LKUP_IDX]);
 
 	return i;
 }
@@ -380,13 +378,16 @@ ice_tc_fill_rules(struct ice_hw *hw, u32 flags,
 	struct ice_tc_flower_lyr_2_4_hdrs *headers = &tc_fltr->outer_headers;
 	bool inner = false;
 	u16 vlan_tpid = 0;
-	int i = 0;
+	int i = 1; /* 0th lookup is metadata */
 
 	rule_info->vlan_type = vlan_tpid;
 
+	/* Always add direction metadata */
+	ice_rule_add_direction_metadata(&list[ICE_TC_METADATA_LKUP_IDX]);
+
 	rule_info->tun_type = ice_sw_type_from_tunnel(tc_fltr->tunnel_type);
 	if (tc_fltr->tunnel_type != TNL_LAST) {
-		i = ice_tc_fill_tunnel_outer(flags, tc_fltr, list);
+		i = ice_tc_fill_tunnel_outer(flags, tc_fltr, list, i);
 
 		/* PFCP is considered non-tunneled - don't swap headers. */
 		if (tc_fltr->tunnel_type != TNL_PFCP) {
@@ -456,8 +457,7 @@ ice_tc_fill_rules(struct ice_hw *hw, u32 flags,
 		rule_info->vlan_type =
 				ice_check_supported_vlan_tpid(vlan_tpid);
 
-		ice_rule_add_vlan_metadata(&list[i]);
-		i++;
+		ice_rule_add_vlan_metadata(&list[ICE_TC_METADATA_LKUP_IDX]);
 	}
 
 	if (flags & (ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_CVLAN | ICE_TC_FLWR_FIELD_CVLAN_PRIO)) {
