diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/nvm.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/nvm.c
index b6468804cb2e74e8e317622ae4f36067c8f8780e..71938ed2d3c345d5a9d4155787e7d44bbc59a4e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/nvm.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/nvm.c
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ s32 e1000e_read_nvm_eerd(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words, u16 *data)
 s32 e1000e_write_nvm_spi(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words, u16 *data)
 {
 	struct e1000_nvm_info *nvm = &hw->nvm;
-	s32 ret_val;
+	s32 ret_val = -E1000_ERR_NVM;
 	u16 widx = 0;
 
 	/* A check for invalid values:  offset too large, too many words,
@@ -371,16 +371,18 @@ s32 e1000e_write_nvm_spi(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words, u16 *data)
 		return -E1000_ERR_NVM;
 	}
 
-	ret_val = nvm->ops.acquire(hw);
-	if (ret_val)
-		return ret_val;
-
 	while (widx < words) {
 		u8 write_opcode = NVM_WRITE_OPCODE_SPI;
 
-		ret_val = e1000_ready_nvm_eeprom(hw);
+		ret_val = nvm->ops.acquire(hw);
 		if (ret_val)
-			goto release;
+			return ret_val;
+
+		ret_val = e1000_ready_nvm_eeprom(hw);
+		if (ret_val) {
+			nvm->ops.release(hw);
+			return ret_val;
+		}
 
 		e1000_standby_nvm(hw);
 
@@ -413,12 +415,10 @@ s32 e1000e_write_nvm_spi(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words, u16 *data)
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+		usleep_range(10000, 20000);
+		nvm->ops.release(hw);
 	}
 
-	usleep_range(10000, 20000);
-release:
-	nvm->ops.release(hw);
-
 	return ret_val;
 }