diff --git a/include/haproxy/action.h b/include/haproxy/action.h
index 9ea5847c9..5d751ac42 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/action.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/action.h
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ static inline void release_timeout_action(struct act_rule *rule)
 	release_sample_expr(rule->arg.timeout.expr);
 }
 
+struct act_rule *new_act_rule(enum act_from from, const char *file, int linenum);
 void free_act_rules(struct list *rules);
 
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_ACTION_H */
diff --git a/src/action.c b/src/action.c
index 1644e0b77..a363dea80 100644
--- a/src/action.c
+++ b/src/action.c
@@ -285,6 +285,21 @@ const char *action_suggest(const char *word, const struct list *keywords, const
 	return best_ptr;
 }
 
+/* allocates a rule for ruleset <from> (ACT_F_*), from file name <file> and
+ * line <linenum>. <file> and <linenum> may be zero if unknown. Returns the
+ * rule, otherwise NULL in case of memory allocation error.
+ */
+struct act_rule *new_act_rule(enum act_from from, const char *file, int linenum)
+{
+	struct act_rule *rule;
+
+	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	if (!rule)
+		return NULL;
+	rule->from = from;
+	return rule;
+}
+
 void free_act_rules(struct list *rules)
 {
 	struct act_rule *rule, *ruleb;
diff --git a/src/http_rules.c b/src/http_rules.c
index 4182958a6..bcff27bde 100644
--- a/src/http_rules.c
+++ b/src/http_rules.c
@@ -81,12 +81,11 @@ struct act_rule *parse_http_req_cond(const char **args, const char *file, int li
 	const struct action_kw *custom = NULL;
 	int cur_arg;
 
-	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	rule = new_act_rule(ACT_F_HTTP_REQ, file, linenum);
 	if (!rule) {
 		ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
 		goto out_err;
 	}
-	rule->from = ACT_F_HTTP_REQ;
 
 	if (((custom = action_http_req_custom(args[0])) != NULL)) {
 		char *errmsg = NULL;
@@ -160,12 +159,11 @@ struct act_rule *parse_http_res_cond(const char **args, const char *file, int li
 	const struct action_kw *custom = NULL;
 	int cur_arg;
 
-	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	rule = new_act_rule(ACT_F_HTTP_RES, file, linenum);
 	if (!rule) {
 		ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
 		goto out_err;
 	}
-	rule->from = ACT_F_HTTP_RES;
 
 	if (((custom = action_http_res_custom(args[0])) != NULL)) {
 		char *errmsg = NULL;
@@ -240,12 +238,11 @@ struct act_rule *parse_http_after_res_cond(const char **args, const char *file,
 	const struct action_kw *custom = NULL;
 	int cur_arg;
 
-	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	rule = new_act_rule(ACT_F_HTTP_RES, file, linenum);
 	if (!rule) {
 		ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d]: out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
 		goto out_err;
 	}
-	rule->from = ACT_F_HTTP_RES;
 
 	if (((custom = action_http_after_res_custom(args[0])) != NULL)) {
 		char *errmsg = NULL;
diff --git a/src/tcp_rules.c b/src/tcp_rules.c
index 9af3005c4..375da6bef 100644
--- a/src/tcp_rules.c
+++ b/src/tcp_rules.c
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ static int tcp_parse_tcp_rep(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *curpx,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	rule = new_act_rule(ACT_F_TCP_RES_CNT, file, line);
 	if (!rule) {
 		memprintf(err, "parsing [%s:%d] : out of memory", file, line);
 		return -1;
@@ -1076,7 +1076,6 @@ static int tcp_parse_tcp_rep(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *curpx,
 			where |= SMP_VAL_FE_RES_CNT;
 		if (curpx->cap & PR_CAP_BE)
 			where |= SMP_VAL_BE_RES_CNT;
-		rule->from = ACT_F_TCP_RES_CNT;
 		if (tcp_parse_response_rule(args, arg, section_type, curpx, defpx, rule, err, where, file, line) < 0)
 			goto error;
 
@@ -1178,7 +1177,7 @@ static int tcp_parse_tcp_req(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *curpx,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	rule = calloc(1, sizeof(*rule));
+	rule = new_act_rule(0, file, line);
 	if (!rule) {
 		memprintf(err, "parsing [%s:%d] : out of memory", file, line);
 		return -1;
diff --git a/src/tcpcheck.c b/src/tcpcheck.c
index 6109f5afe..aa6db673a 100644
--- a/src/tcpcheck.c
+++ b/src/tcpcheck.c
@@ -2336,13 +2336,12 @@ struct tcpcheck_rule *parse_tcpcheck_action(char **args, int cur_arg, struct pro
 	struct tcpcheck_rule *chk = NULL;
 	struct act_rule *actrule = NULL;
 
-	actrule = calloc(1, sizeof(*actrule));
+	actrule = new_act_rule(ACT_F_TCP_CHK, file, line);
 	if (!actrule) {
 		memprintf(errmsg, "out of memory");
 		goto error;
 	}
 	actrule->kw = kw;
-	actrule->from = ACT_F_TCP_CHK;
 
 	cur_arg++;
 	if (kw->parse((const char **)args, &cur_arg, px, actrule, errmsg) == ACT_RET_PRS_ERR) {