diff --git a/drivers/dma/at_xdmac.c b/drivers/dma/at_xdmac.c
index 96559c5df944..861be862a775 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/at_xdmac.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/at_xdmac.c
@@ -970,6 +970,8 @@ at_xdmac_prep_interleaved(struct dma_chan *chan,
 							NULL,
 							src_addr, dst_addr,
 							xt, xt->sgl);
+		if (!first)
+			return NULL;
 
 		/* Length of the block is (BLEN+1) microblocks. */
 		for (i = 0; i < xt->numf - 1; i++)
@@ -1000,8 +1002,9 @@ at_xdmac_prep_interleaved(struct dma_chan *chan,
 							       src_addr, dst_addr,
 							       xt, chunk);
 			if (!desc) {
-				list_splice_tail_init(&first->descs_list,
-						      &atchan->free_descs_list);
+				if (first)
+					list_splice_tail_init(&first->descs_list,
+							      &atchan->free_descs_list);
 				return NULL;
 			}