diff --git a/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c b/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c
index 6c44609fd83a..cd2b3c69771a 100644
--- a/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c
+++ b/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c
@@ -825,7 +825,6 @@ isdn_ppp_write(int min, struct file *file, const char __user *buf, int count)
 	isdn_net_local *lp;
 	struct ippp_struct *is;
 	int proto;
-	unsigned char protobuf[4];
 
 	is = file->private_data;
 
@@ -839,24 +838,28 @@ isdn_ppp_write(int min, struct file *file, const char __user *buf, int count)
 	if (!lp)
 		printk(KERN_DEBUG "isdn_ppp_write: lp == NULL\n");
 	else {
-		/*
-		 * Don't reset huptimer for
-		 * LCP packets. (Echo requests).
-		 */
-		if (copy_from_user(protobuf, buf, 4))
-			return -EFAULT;
-		proto = PPP_PROTOCOL(protobuf);
-		if (proto != PPP_LCP)
-			lp->huptimer = 0;
+		if (lp->isdn_device < 0 || lp->isdn_channel < 0) {
+			unsigned char protobuf[4];
+			/*
+			 * Don't reset huptimer for
+			 * LCP packets. (Echo requests).
+			 */
+			if (copy_from_user(protobuf, buf, 4))
+				return -EFAULT;
+
+			proto = PPP_PROTOCOL(protobuf);
+			if (proto != PPP_LCP)
+				lp->huptimer = 0;
 
-		if (lp->isdn_device < 0 || lp->isdn_channel < 0)
 			return 0;
+		}
 
 		if ((dev->drv[lp->isdn_device]->flags & DRV_FLAG_RUNNING) &&
 		    lp->dialstate == 0 &&
 		    (lp->flags & ISDN_NET_CONNECTED)) {
 			unsigned short hl;
 			struct sk_buff *skb;
+			unsigned char *cpy_buf;
 			/*
 			 * we need to reserve enough space in front of
 			 * sk_buff. old call to dev_alloc_skb only reserved
@@ -869,11 +872,21 @@ isdn_ppp_write(int min, struct file *file, const char __user *buf, int count)
 				return count;
 			}
 			skb_reserve(skb, hl);
-			if (copy_from_user(skb_put(skb, count), buf, count))
+			cpy_buf = skb_put(skb, count);
+			if (copy_from_user(cpy_buf, buf, count))
 			{
 				kfree_skb(skb);
 				return -EFAULT;
 			}
+
+			/*
+			 * Don't reset huptimer for
+			 * LCP packets. (Echo requests).
+			 */
+			proto = PPP_PROTOCOL(cpy_buf);
+			if (proto != PPP_LCP)
+				lp->huptimer = 0;
+
 			if (is->debug & 0x40) {
 				printk(KERN_DEBUG "ppp xmit: len %d\n", (int) skb->len);
 				isdn_ppp_frame_log("xmit", skb->data, skb->len, 32, is->unit, lp->ppp_slot);