diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/sdma.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/sdma.c
index c61b6022575e..248be21acdbe 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/sdma.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/sdma.c
@@ -3056,6 +3056,7 @@ static void __sdma_process_event(struct sdma_engine *sde,
 static int _extend_sdma_tx_descs(struct hfi1_devdata *dd, struct sdma_txreq *tx)
 {
 	int i;
+	struct sdma_desc *descp;
 
 	/* Handle last descriptor */
 	if (unlikely((tx->num_desc == (MAX_DESC - 1)))) {
@@ -3076,12 +3077,10 @@ static int _extend_sdma_tx_descs(struct hfi1_devdata *dd, struct sdma_txreq *tx)
 	if (unlikely(tx->num_desc == MAX_DESC))
 		goto enomem;
 
-	tx->descp = kmalloc_array(
-			MAX_DESC,
-			sizeof(struct sdma_desc),
-			GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (!tx->descp)
+	descp = kmalloc_array(MAX_DESC, sizeof(struct sdma_desc), GFP_ATOMIC);
+	if (!descp)
 		goto enomem;
+	tx->descp = descp;
 
 	/* reserve last descriptor for coalescing */
 	tx->desc_limit = MAX_DESC - 1;