diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/recv.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/recv.c
index f4ae3ba994a8f85284cd157e227c8daeaf671b0c..1c4583c7ff7cffeba6ee39e1b04eefe43f71130f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/recv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/recv.c
@@ -1913,13 +1913,13 @@ int ath_rx_tasklet(struct ath_softc *sc, int flush, bool hp)
 		if (sc->rx.frag) {
 			int space = skb->len - skb_tailroom(hdr_skb);
 
-			sc->rx.frag = NULL;
-
 			if (pskb_expand_head(hdr_skb, 0, space, GFP_ATOMIC) < 0) {
 				dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 				goto requeue_drop_frag;
 			}
 
+			sc->rx.frag = NULL;
+
 			skb_copy_from_linear_data(skb, skb_put(hdr_skb, skb->len),
 						  skb->len);
 			dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);