diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
index e789f68d5be1..8abd743adfb0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
@@ -645,7 +645,6 @@ int msm_ioctl_gem_submit(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 	struct msm_file_private *ctx = file->driver_priv;
 	struct msm_gem_submit *submit;
 	struct msm_gpu *gpu = priv->gpu;
-	struct sync_file *sync_file = NULL;
 	struct msm_gpu_submitqueue *queue;
 	struct msm_ringbuffer *ring;
 	struct msm_submit_post_dep *post_deps = NULL;
@@ -824,22 +823,19 @@ int msm_ioctl_gem_submit(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 	}
 
 	if (args->flags & MSM_SUBMIT_FENCE_FD_OUT) {
-		sync_file = sync_file_create(submit->fence);
+		struct sync_file *sync_file = sync_file_create(submit->fence);
 		if (!sync_file) {
 			ret = -ENOMEM;
 			goto out;
 		}
+		fd_install(out_fence_fd, sync_file->file);
+		args->fence_fd = out_fence_fd;
 	}
 
 	msm_gpu_submit(gpu, submit);
 
 	args->fence = submit->fence->seqno;
 
-	if (args->flags & MSM_SUBMIT_FENCE_FD_OUT) {
-		fd_install(out_fence_fd, sync_file->file);
-		args->fence_fd = out_fence_fd;
-	}
-
 	msm_reset_syncobjs(syncobjs_to_reset, args->nr_in_syncobjs);
 	msm_process_post_deps(post_deps, args->nr_out_syncobjs,
 	                      submit->fence);