diff --git a/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c b/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
index 416dde4e8ea1..74c13b0a3d33 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
@@ -698,8 +698,12 @@ repeat:
 
 	/* lucky, within the range of the current map_blocks */
 	if (offset + cur >= map->m_la &&
-		offset + cur < map->m_la + map->m_llen)
+		offset + cur < map->m_la + map->m_llen) {
+		/* didn't get a valid unzip work previously (very rare) */
+		if (!builder->work)
+			goto restart_now;
 		goto hitted;
+	}
 
 	/* go ahead the next map_blocks */
 	debugln("%s: [out-of-range] pos %llu", __func__, offset + cur);
@@ -713,6 +717,7 @@ repeat:
 	if (unlikely(err))
 		goto err_out;
 
+restart_now:
 	if (unlikely(!(map->m_flags & EROFS_MAP_MAPPED)))
 		goto hitted;