diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_nvmet.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_nvmet.c
index deab8931ab48ed2ba8e3f0e9ae33fe51b84f2ae8..63f112694423c1f0e9ed9680ef8693cfaed55903 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_nvmet.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_nvmet.c
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ lpfc_nvmet_defer_rcv(struct nvmet_fc_target_port *tgtport,
 	struct lpfc_nvmet_tgtport *tgtp;
 	struct lpfc_async_xchg_ctx *ctxp =
 		container_of(rsp, struct lpfc_async_xchg_ctx, hdlrctx.fcp_req);
-	struct rqb_dmabuf *nvmebuf = ctxp->rqb_buffer;
+	struct rqb_dmabuf *nvmebuf;
 	struct lpfc_hba *phba = ctxp->phba;
 	unsigned long iflag;
 
@@ -1253,13 +1253,18 @@ lpfc_nvmet_defer_rcv(struct nvmet_fc_target_port *tgtport,
 	lpfc_nvmeio_data(phba, "NVMET DEFERRCV: xri x%x sz %d CPU %02x\n",
 			 ctxp->oxid, ctxp->size, raw_smp_processor_id());
 
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&ctxp->ctxlock, iflag);
+	nvmebuf = ctxp->rqb_buffer;
 	if (!nvmebuf) {
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctxp->ctxlock, iflag);
 		lpfc_printf_log(phba, KERN_INFO, LOG_NVME_IOERR,
 				"6425 Defer rcv: no buffer oxid x%x: "
 				"flg %x ste %x\n",
 				ctxp->oxid, ctxp->flag, ctxp->state);
 		return;
 	}
+	ctxp->rqb_buffer = NULL;
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctxp->ctxlock, iflag);
 
 	tgtp = phba->targetport->private;
 	if (tgtp)
@@ -1267,9 +1272,6 @@ lpfc_nvmet_defer_rcv(struct nvmet_fc_target_port *tgtport,
 
 	/* Free the nvmebuf since a new buffer already replaced it */
 	nvmebuf->hrq->rqbp->rqb_free_buffer(phba, nvmebuf);
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&ctxp->ctxlock, iflag);
-	ctxp->rqb_buffer = NULL;
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctxp->ctxlock, iflag);
 }
 
 /**