diff --git a/src/plugins/bpf_trace_filter/bpf_trace_filter.c b/src/plugins/bpf_trace_filter/bpf_trace_filter.c
index ff08d2c..01d5b1e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bpf_trace_filter/bpf_trace_filter.c
+++ b/src/plugins/bpf_trace_filter/bpf_trace_filter.c
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@
   struct pcap_pkthdr phdr = { 0 };
   int res;
   int res1;
-  res1 = vnet_is_packet_traced (b, classify_table_index, 0);
 
-  if (res1 != 1)
+  if (classify_table_index != ~0 &&
+      (res1 = vnet_is_packet_traced (b, classify_table_index, 0)) != 1)
     return res1;
 
   if (!bfm->prog_set)
diff --git a/src/vlib/trace.c b/src/vlib/trace.c
index 96da497..1535557 100644
--- a/src/vlib/trace.c
+++ b/src/vlib/trace.c
@@ -463,13 +463,6 @@
       goto done;
     }
 
-  u32 filter_table = classify_get_trace_chain ();
-  if (filter && filter_table == ~0)
-    {
-      error = clib_error_create ("No packet trace filter configured...");
-      goto done;
-    }
-
   trace_update_capture_options (add, node_index, filter, verbose);
 
 done:
diff --git a/src/vnet/classify/trace_classify.h b/src/vnet/classify/trace_classify.h
index fea4dde..0342121 100644
--- a/src/vnet/classify/trace_classify.h
+++ b/src/vnet/classify/trace_classify.h
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@
   if (func != 0)
     return -1;
 
+  if (classify_table_index == ~0)
+    return -1;
+
   /* This will happen... */
   if (pool_is_free_index (vcm->tables, classify_table_index))
     return -1;