diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
index f0b1ae0835d7..b37379b62cc7 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ smb2_reconnect(__le16 smb2_command, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 	       struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
-	struct nls_table *nls_codepage;
+	struct nls_table *nls_codepage = NULL;
 	struct cifs_ses *ses;
 
 	/*
@@ -216,8 +216,6 @@ again:
 		 tcon->ses->chans_need_reconnect,
 		 tcon->need_reconnect);
 
-	nls_codepage = load_nls_default();
-
 	mutex_lock(&ses->session_mutex);
 	/*
 	 * Recheck after acquire mutex. If another thread is negotiating
@@ -237,6 +235,8 @@ again:
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);
 
+	nls_codepage = load_nls_default();
+
 	/*
 	 * need to prevent multiple threads trying to simultaneously
 	 * reconnect the same SMB session