diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
index 8377e14b8fba..405087bda8cc 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -2417,10 +2417,12 @@ nfsd4_decode_compound(struct nfsd4_compoundargs *argp)
 	for (i = 0; i < argp->opcnt; i++) {
 		op = &argp->ops[i];
 		op->replay = NULL;
+		op->opdesc = NULL;
 
 		if (xdr_stream_decode_u32(argp->xdr, &op->opnum) < 0)
 			return false;
 		if (nfsd4_opnum_in_range(argp, op)) {
+			op->opdesc = OPDESC(op);
 			op->status = nfsd4_dec_ops[op->opnum](argp, &op->u);
 			if (op->status != nfs_ok)
 				trace_nfsd_compound_decode_err(argp->rqstp,
@@ -2431,7 +2433,7 @@ nfsd4_decode_compound(struct nfsd4_compoundargs *argp)
 			op->opnum = OP_ILLEGAL;
 			op->status = nfserr_op_illegal;
 		}
-		op->opdesc = OPDESC(op);
+
 		/*
 		 * We'll try to cache the result in the DRC if any one
 		 * op in the compound wants to be cached: