diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_mem.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_mem.c
index c61d8d692edeeeca94512d2eeb0c2fcbdff0b382..5986c7957199df6ef97343a3c0402931cbdeb7ad 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_mem.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_mem.c
@@ -646,7 +646,6 @@ lpfc_sli4_nvmet_alloc(struct lpfc_hba *phba)
 	}
 
 	dma_buf->iocbq = lpfc_sli_get_iocbq(phba);
-	dma_buf->iocbq->iocb_flag = LPFC_IO_NVMET;
 	if (!dma_buf->iocbq) {
 		kfree(dma_buf->context);
 		pci_pool_free(phba->lpfc_drb_pool, dma_buf->dbuf.virt,
@@ -658,6 +657,7 @@ lpfc_sli4_nvmet_alloc(struct lpfc_hba *phba)
 				"2621 Ran out of nvmet iocb/WQEs\n");
 		return NULL;
 	}
+	dma_buf->iocbq->iocb_flag = LPFC_IO_NVMET;
 	nvmewqe = dma_buf->iocbq;
 	wqe = (union lpfc_wqe128 *)&nvmewqe->wqe;
 	/* Initialize WQE */