diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_qp.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_qp.c
index 41c9ede98c26..4798b718b085 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_qp.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_qp.c
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ static void free_rd_atomic_resources(struct rxe_qp *qp)
 void free_rd_atomic_resource(struct rxe_qp *qp, struct resp_res *res)
 {
 	if (res->type == RXE_ATOMIC_MASK) {
-		rxe_drop_ref(qp);
 		kfree_skb(res->atomic.skb);
 	} else if (res->type == RXE_READ_MASK) {
 		if (res->read.mr)
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
index 9078cfd3b8bd..b36d364f0fb5 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
@@ -999,8 +999,6 @@ static int send_atomic_ack(struct rxe_qp *qp, struct rxe_pkt_info *pkt,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	rxe_add_ref(qp);
-
 	res = &qp->resp.resources[qp->resp.res_head];
 	free_rd_atomic_resource(qp, res);
 	rxe_advance_resp_resource(qp);