diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
index 9c9ff3bdc62a..30c64c3f5fa0 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -5398,10 +5398,8 @@ nfsd4_encode_operation(struct nfsd4_compoundres *resp, struct nfsd4_op *op)
 	__be32 *p;
 
 	p = xdr_reserve_space(xdr, 8);
-	if (!p) {
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(1);
-		return;
-	}
+	if (!p)
+		goto release;
 	*p++ = cpu_to_be32(op->opnum);
 	post_err_offset = xdr->buf->len;
 
@@ -5416,8 +5414,6 @@ nfsd4_encode_operation(struct nfsd4_compoundres *resp, struct nfsd4_op *op)
 	op->status = encoder(resp, op->status, &op->u);
 	if (op->status)
 		trace_nfsd_compound_encode_err(rqstp, op->opnum, op->status);
-	if (opdesc && opdesc->op_release)
-		opdesc->op_release(&op->u);
 	xdr_commit_encode(xdr);
 
 	/* nfsd4_check_resp_size guarantees enough room for error status */
@@ -5458,6 +5454,9 @@ nfsd4_encode_operation(struct nfsd4_compoundres *resp, struct nfsd4_op *op)
 	}
 status:
 	*p = op->status;
+release:
+	if (opdesc && opdesc->op_release)
+		opdesc->op_release(&op->u);
 }
 
 /*