diff --git a/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c b/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
index 9a841ce5f0c505c18673d5914f95a0904ada9885..d7a16a45a2d80351ab9df6bef8a1095d3dcfc15a 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ static void msgdma_free_descriptor(struct msgdma_device *mdev,
 	struct msgdma_sw_desc *child, *next;
 
 	mdev->desc_free_cnt++;
-	list_add_tail(&desc->node, &mdev->free_list);
+	list_move_tail(&desc->node, &mdev->free_list);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(child, next, &desc->tx_list, node) {
 		mdev->desc_free_cnt++;
 		list_move_tail(&child->node, &mdev->free_list);
@@ -587,8 +587,6 @@ static void msgdma_chan_desc_cleanup(struct msgdma_device *mdev)
 		dma_async_tx_callback callback;
 		void *callback_param;
 
-		list_del(&desc->node);
-
 		callback = desc->async_tx.callback;
 		callback_param = desc->async_tx.callback_param;
 		if (callback) {