diff --git a/tc/m_simple.c b/tc/m_simple.c
index e167ccae..feba61b5 100644
--- a/tc/m_simple.c
+++ b/tc/m_simple.c
@@ -81,9 +81,10 @@
 #endif
 static void explain(void)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "Usage: ... simple STRING\n"
-		"STRING being an arbitrary string\n"
-		"example: \"simple blah\"\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "Usage:... simple [sdata STRING] [CONTROL] [index INDEX]\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "\tSTRING being an arbitrary string\n"
+		"\tCONTROL := reclassify|pipe|drop|continue|ok\n"
+		"\tINDEX := optional index value used\n");
 }
 
 static void usage(void)
@@ -99,25 +100,64 @@ parse_simple(struct action_util *a, int *argc_p, char ***argv_p, int tca_id,
 	struct tc_defact sel = {};
 	int argc = *argc_p;
 	char **argv = *argv_p;
-	int ok = 0;
+	int ok = 0, maybe_bind = 0;
 	struct rtattr *tail;
 	char *simpdata = NULL;
 
-
 	while (argc > 0) {
 		if (matches(*argv, "simple") == 0) {
 			NEXT_ARG();
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "sdata") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			ok += 1;
 			simpdata = *argv;
-			ok = 1;
 			argc--;
 			argv++;
-			break;
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "help") == 0) {
 			usage();
 		} else {
 			break;
 		}
+	}
 
+	if (argc) {
+		if (matches(*argv, "reclassify") == 0) {
+			sel.action = TC_ACT_RECLASSIFY;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "pipe") == 0) {
+			sel.action = TC_ACT_PIPE;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "drop") == 0 ||
+			   matches(*argv, "shot") == 0) {
+			sel.action = TC_ACT_SHOT;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "continue") == 0) {
+			sel.action = TC_ACT_UNSPEC;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "pass") == 0 ||
+			   matches(*argv, "ok") == 0) {
+			sel.action = TC_ACT_OK;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (argc) {
+		if (matches(*argv, "index") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			if (get_u32(&sel.index, *argv, 10)) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "simple: Illegal \"index\"\n",
+					*argv);
+				return -1;
+			}
+			ok += 1;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!ok) {
@@ -125,30 +165,20 @@ parse_simple(struct action_util *a, int *argc_p, char ***argv_p, int tca_id,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (argc) {
-		if (matches(*argv, "index") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (get_u32(&sel.index, *argv, 10)) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "simple: Illegal \"index\"\n");
-				return -1;
-			}
-			argc--;
-			argv++;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (strlen(simpdata) > (SIMP_MAX_DATA - 1)) {
+	if (simpdata && (strlen(simpdata) > (SIMP_MAX_DATA - 1))) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "simple: Illegal string len %zu <%s>\n",
 			strlen(simpdata), simpdata);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+
 	sel.action = TC_ACT_PIPE;
 
 	tail = NLMSG_TAIL(n);
 	addattr_l(n, MAX_MSG, tca_id, NULL, 0);
 	addattr_l(n, MAX_MSG, TCA_DEF_PARMS, &sel, sizeof(sel));
-	addattr_l(n, MAX_MSG, TCA_DEF_DATA, simpdata, SIMP_MAX_DATA);
+	if (simpdata)
+		addattr_l(n, MAX_MSG, TCA_DEF_DATA, simpdata, SIMP_MAX_DATA);
 	tail->rta_len = (char *)NLMSG_TAIL(n) - (char *)tail;
 
 	*argc_p = argc;