diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
index 2079145a3b7c..cf3c5095c10e 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
@@ -2528,6 +2528,7 @@ void tcp_write_queue_purge(struct sock *sk)
 	sk_mem_reclaim(sk);
 	tcp_clear_all_retrans_hints(tcp_sk(sk));
 	tcp_sk(sk)->packets_out = 0;
+	inet_csk(sk)->icsk_backoff = 0;
 }
 
 int tcp_disconnect(struct sock *sk, int flags)
@@ -2576,7 +2577,6 @@ int tcp_disconnect(struct sock *sk, int flags)
 	tp->write_seq += tp->max_window + 2;
 	if (tp->write_seq == 0)
 		tp->write_seq = 1;
-	icsk->icsk_backoff = 0;
 	tp->snd_cwnd = 2;
 	icsk->icsk_probes_out = 0;
 	tp->snd_ssthresh = TCP_INFINITE_SSTHRESH;
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
index efc6fef692ff..ec3cea9d6828 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
@@ -536,12 +536,15 @@ int tcp_v4_err(struct sk_buff *icmp_skb, u32 info)
 		if (sock_owned_by_user(sk))
 			break;
 
+		skb = tcp_rtx_queue_head(sk);
+		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!skb))
+			break;
+
 		icsk->icsk_backoff--;
 		icsk->icsk_rto = tp->srtt_us ? __tcp_set_rto(tp) :
 					       TCP_TIMEOUT_INIT;
 		icsk->icsk_rto = inet_csk_rto_backoff(icsk, TCP_RTO_MAX);
 
-		skb = tcp_rtx_queue_head(sk);
 
 		tcp_mstamp_refresh(tp);
 		delta_us = (u32)(tp->tcp_mstamp - tcp_skb_timestamp_us(skb));