diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/openvswitch.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/openvswitch.sh
index f8499d4c87f3..30cb9d3b035d 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/openvswitch.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/openvswitch.sh
@@ -502,7 +502,20 @@ test_netlink_checks () {
 	    wc -l) == 2 ] || \
 	      return 1
 
+	info "Checking clone depth"
 	ERR_MSG="Flow actions may not be safe on all matching packets"
+	PRE_TEST=$(dmesg | grep -c "${ERR_MSG}")
+	ovs_add_flow "test_netlink_checks" nv0 \
+		'in_port(1),eth(),eth_type(0x800),ipv4()' \
+		'clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(clone(drop)))))))))))))))))' \
+		&> /dev/null && return 1
+	POST_TEST=$(dmesg | grep -c "${ERR_MSG}")
+
+	if [ "$PRE_TEST" == "$POST_TEST" ]; then
+		info "failed - clone depth too large"
+		return 1
+	fi
+
 	PRE_TEST=$(dmesg | grep -c "${ERR_MSG}")
 	ovs_add_flow "test_netlink_checks" nv0 \
 		'in_port(1),eth(),eth_type(0x0806),arp()' 'drop(0),2' \
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/ovs-dpctl.py b/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/ovs-dpctl.py
index b97e621face9..5e0e539a323d 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/ovs-dpctl.py
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/openvswitch/ovs-dpctl.py
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH", "none"),
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_POP_NSH", "flag"),
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_METER", "none"),
-        ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CLONE", "none"),
+        ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CLONE", "recursive"),
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CHECK_PKT_LEN", "none"),
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_ADD_MPLS", "none"),
         ("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_DEC_TTL", "none"),
@@ -465,29 +465,42 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
                     print_str += "pop_mpls"
             else:
                 datum = self.get_attr(field[0])
-                print_str += datum.dpstr(more)
+                if field[0] == "OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CLONE":
+                    print_str += "clone("
+                    print_str += datum.dpstr(more)
+                    print_str += ")"
+                else:
+                    print_str += datum.dpstr(more)
 
         return print_str
 
     def parse(self, actstr):
+        totallen = len(actstr)
         while len(actstr) != 0:
             parsed = False
+            parencount = 0
             if actstr.startswith("drop"):
                 # If no reason is provided, the implicit drop is used (i.e no
                 # action). If some reason is given, an explicit action is used.
-                actstr, reason = parse_extract_field(
-                    actstr,
-                    "drop(",
-                    "([0-9]+)",
-                    lambda x: int(x, 0),
-                    False,
-                    None,
-                )
+                reason = None
+                if actstr.startswith("drop("):
+                    parencount += 1
+
+                    actstr, reason = parse_extract_field(
+                        actstr,
+                        "drop(",
+                        "([0-9]+)",
+                        lambda x: int(x, 0),
+                        False,
+                        None,
+                    )
+
                 if reason is not None:
                     self["attrs"].append(["OVS_ACTION_ATTR_DROP", reason])
                     parsed = True
                 else:
-                    return
+                    actstr = actstr[len("drop"): ]
+                    return (totallen - len(actstr))
 
             elif parse_starts_block(actstr, "^(\d+)", False, True):
                 actstr, output = parse_extract_field(
@@ -504,6 +517,7 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
                     False,
                     0,
                 )
+                parencount += 1
                 self["attrs"].append(["OVS_ACTION_ATTR_RECIRC", recircid])
                 parsed = True
 
@@ -516,12 +530,22 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
 
             for flat_act in parse_flat_map:
                 if parse_starts_block(actstr, flat_act[0], False):
-                    actstr += len(flat_act[0])
+                    actstr = actstr[len(flat_act[0]):]
                     self["attrs"].append([flat_act[1]])
                     actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ", ") :]
                     parsed = True
 
-            if parse_starts_block(actstr, "ct(", False):
+            if parse_starts_block(actstr, "clone(", False):
+                parencount += 1
+                subacts = ovsactions()
+                actstr = actstr[len("clone("):]
+                parsedLen = subacts.parse(actstr)
+                lst = []
+                self["attrs"].append(("OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CLONE", subacts))
+                actstr = actstr[parsedLen:]
+                parsed = True
+            elif parse_starts_block(actstr, "ct(", False):
+                parencount += 1
                 actstr = actstr[len("ct(") :]
                 ctact = ovsactions.ctact()
 
@@ -553,6 +577,7 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
                         natact = ovsactions.ctact.natattr()
 
                         if actstr.startswith("("):
+                            parencount += 1
                             t = None
                             actstr = actstr[1:]
                             if actstr.startswith("src"):
@@ -607,15 +632,29 @@ class ovsactions(nla):
                                     actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ", ") :]
 
                         ctact["attrs"].append(["OVS_CT_ATTR_NAT", natact])
-                        actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ",) ") :]
+                        actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ", ") :]
 
                 self["attrs"].append(["OVS_ACTION_ATTR_CT", ctact])
                 parsed = True
 
-            actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, "), ") :]
+            actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ", ") :]
+            while parencount > 0:
+                parencount -= 1
+                actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, " "):]
+                if len(actstr) and actstr[0] != ")":
+                    raise ValueError("Action str: '%s' unbalanced" % actstr)
+                actstr = actstr[1:]
+
+            if len(actstr) and actstr[0] == ")":
+                return (totallen - len(actstr))
+
+            actstr = actstr[strspn(actstr, ", ") :]
+
             if not parsed:
                 raise ValueError("Action str: '%s' not supported" % actstr)
 
+        return (totallen - len(actstr))
+
 
 class ovskey(nla):
     nla_flags = NLA_F_NESTED
@@ -2111,6 +2150,8 @@ def main(argv):
     ovsflow = OvsFlow()
     ndb = NDB()
 
+    sys.setrecursionlimit(100000)
+
     if hasattr(args, "showdp"):
         found = False
         for iface in ndb.interfaces:
