diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/mad.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/mad.c
index f8f53bb90837..cb91245e9163 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/mad.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/mad.c
@@ -1974,14 +1974,15 @@ static void ib_mad_complete_recv(struct ib_mad_agent_private *mad_agent_priv,
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret;
 
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&mad_recv_wc->rmpp_list);
 	ret = ib_mad_enforce_security(mad_agent_priv,
 				      mad_recv_wc->wc->pkey_index);
 	if (ret) {
 		ib_free_recv_mad(mad_recv_wc);
 		deref_mad_agent(mad_agent_priv);
+		return;
 	}
 
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&mad_recv_wc->rmpp_list);
 	list_add(&mad_recv_wc->recv_buf.list, &mad_recv_wc->rmpp_list);
 	if (ib_mad_kernel_rmpp_agent(&mad_agent_priv->agent)) {
 		mad_recv_wc = ib_process_rmpp_recv_wc(mad_agent_priv,