diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
index bbfee53cfcf5..845e49a52430 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
@@ -2521,12 +2521,13 @@ kiblnd_passive_connect(struct rdma_cm_id *cmid, void *priv, int priv_nob)
 	return 0;
 
  failed:
-	if (ni)
+	if (ni) {
 		lnet_ni_decref(ni);
+		rej.ibr_cp.ibcp_queue_depth = kiblnd_msg_queue_size(version, ni);
+		rej.ibr_cp.ibcp_max_frags = kiblnd_rdma_frags(version, ni);
+	}
 
 	rej.ibr_version             = version;
-	rej.ibr_cp.ibcp_queue_depth = kiblnd_msg_queue_size(version, ni);
-	rej.ibr_cp.ibcp_max_frags = kiblnd_rdma_frags(version, ni);
 	kiblnd_reject(cmid, &rej);
 
 	return -ECONNREFUSED;