diff --git a/include/cache.h b/include/cache.h
index 934c3a74fa95..c5c585bacaf7 100644
--- a/include/cache.h
+++ b/include/cache.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ struct nft_cache {
 	struct cache		table_cache;
 	uint32_t		seqnum;
 	uint32_t		flags;
+	bool			eintr;
 };
 
 void nft_chain_cache_update(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, struct table *table,
diff --git a/include/netlink.h b/include/netlink.h
index d52434c72bc2..d3e828f270e1 100644
--- a/include/netlink.h
+++ b/include/netlink.h
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ struct netlink_ctx {
 	uint32_t		seqnum;
 	struct nftnl_batch	*batch;
 	int			maybe_emsgsize;
+	bool			ignore_eintr;
 };
 
 extern struct nftnl_expr *alloc_nft_expr(const char *name);
diff --git a/src/cache.c b/src/cache.c
index 95adee7f8ac1..9237397d2d3e 100644
--- a/src/cache.c
+++ b/src/cache.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <netlink.h>
 #include <mnl.h>
 #include <libnftnl/chain.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 #include <linux/netfilter.h>
 #include <linux/netfilter/nf_tables.h>
 
@@ -1175,10 +1176,14 @@ bool nft_cache_needs_update(struct nft_cache *cache)
 	return cache->flags & NFT_CACHE_UPDATE;
 }
 
+/* display inconsistent ruleset after 5 seconds of retries. */
+#define MAX_RETRY_TIME 5
+
 int nft_cache_update(struct nft_ctx *nft, unsigned int flags,
 		     struct list_head *msgs,
 		     const struct nft_cache_filter *filter)
 {
+	struct timeval tv_start, tv_last, tv_diff;
 	struct netlink_ctx ctx = {
 		.list		= LIST_HEAD_INIT(ctx.list),
 		.nft		= nft,
@@ -1187,7 +1192,14 @@ int nft_cache_update(struct nft_ctx *nft, unsigned int flags,
 	struct nft_cache *cache = &nft->cache;
 	uint32_t genid, genid_stop, oldflags;
 	int ret;
+
+	gettimeofday(&tv_start, NULL);
 replay:
+	gettimeofday(&tv_last, NULL);
+	timersub(&tv_diff, &tv_last, &tv_start);
+	if (tv_diff.tv_sec > MAX_RETRY_TIME)
+		ctx.ignore_eintr = true;
+
 	ctx.seqnum = cache->seqnum++;
 	genid = mnl_genid_get(&ctx);
 	if (!nft_cache_needs_refresh(cache) &&
@@ -1223,12 +1235,16 @@ replay:
 
 	genid_stop = mnl_genid_get(&ctx);
 	if (genid != genid_stop) {
-		nft_cache_release(cache);
-		goto replay;
+		if (!ctx.ignore_eintr) {
+			nft_cache_release(cache);
+			goto replay;
+		}
+		cache->eintr = true;
 	}
 skip:
 	cache->genid = genid;
 	cache->flags = flags;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mnl.c b/src/mnl.c
index 91775c41b246..f985e90c5926 100644
--- a/src/mnl.c
+++ b/src/mnl.c
@@ -706,8 +706,13 @@ struct nftnl_rule_list *mnl_nft_rule_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, int family,
 	}
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, rule_cb, nlr_list);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nlr_list;
 err:
@@ -1029,8 +1034,13 @@ struct nftnl_chain_list *mnl_nft_chain_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx,
 	}
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, chain_cb, nlc_list);
-	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nlc_list;
 err:
@@ -1174,8 +1184,13 @@ struct nftnl_table_list *mnl_nft_table_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx,
 	}
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, table_cb, nlt_list);
-	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nlt_list;
 err:
@@ -1428,8 +1443,13 @@ mnl_nft_set_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, int family,
 		memory_allocation_error();
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, set_cb, nls_list);
-	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nls_list;
 err:
@@ -1653,8 +1673,13 @@ mnl_nft_obj_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, int family,
 		memory_allocation_error();
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, obj_cb, nln_list);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nln_list;
 err:
@@ -1967,8 +1992,13 @@ mnl_nft_flowtable_dump(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, int family,
 		memory_allocation_error();
 
 	ret = nft_mnl_talk(ctx, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len, flowtable_cb, nln_list);
-	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-		goto err;
+	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+		if (errno != EINTR)
+			goto err;
+
+		if (!ctx->ignore_eintr)
+			goto err;
+	}
 
 	return nln_list;
 err:
diff --git a/src/rule.c b/src/rule.c
index 633a5a12486d..3f984ea1fec5 100644
--- a/src/rule.c
+++ b/src/rule.c
@@ -2192,6 +2192,9 @@ static int do_list_ruleset(struct netlink_ctx *ctx, struct cmd *cmd)
 	unsigned int family = cmd->handle.family;
 	struct table *table;
 
+	if (ctx->nft->cache.eintr)
+		nft_print(&ctx->nft->output, "# Warning: ruleset has been updated while listing\n");
+
 	list_for_each_entry(table, &ctx->nft->cache.table_cache.list, cache.list) {
 		if (family != NFPROTO_UNSPEC &&
 		    table->handle.family != family)