}
        /* implicit 'else' */
 
-       /* we only allow nat config for new conntracks */
-       if (cda[CTA_NAT_SRC-1] || cda[CTA_NAT_DST-1]) {
-               err = -EINVAL;
-               goto out_unlock;
-       }
-
        /* We manipulate the conntrack inside the global conntrack table lock,
         * so there's no need to increase the refcount */
        err = -EEXIST;
-       if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_EXCL))
-               err = ctnetlink_change_conntrack(nf_ct_tuplehash_to_ctrack(h), cda);
+       if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_EXCL)) {
+               /* we only allow nat config for new conntracks */
+               if (cda[CTA_NAT_SRC-1] || cda[CTA_NAT_DST-1]) {
+                       err = -EINVAL;
+                       goto out_unlock;
+               }
+               err = ctnetlink_change_conntrack(nf_ct_tuplehash_to_ctrack(h),
+                                                cda);
+       }
 
 out_unlock:
        write_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);