diff --git a/io_uring/kbuf.c b/io_uring/kbuf.c
index 3cd29477fff2..b6b969b55e12 100644
--- a/io_uring/kbuf.c
+++ b/io_uring/kbuf.c
@@ -287,8 +287,6 @@ static int io_ring_buffers_peek(struct io_kiocb *req, struct buf_sel_arg *arg,
 		iov = kmalloc_objs(struct iovec, nr_avail);
 		if (unlikely(!iov))
 			return -ENOMEM;
-		if (arg->mode & KBUF_MODE_FREE)
-			kfree(arg->iovs);
 		arg->iovs = iov;
 		nr_iovs = nr_avail;
 	} else if (nr_avail < nr_iovs) {
@@ -330,6 +328,9 @@ static int io_ring_buffers_peek(struct io_kiocb *req, struct buf_sel_arg *arg,
 		buf = io_ring_head_to_buf(br, ++head, bl->mask);
 	} while (--nr_iovs);
 
+	if (arg->mode & KBUF_MODE_FREE)
+		kfree(arg->iovs);
+
 	if (head == tail)
 		req->flags |= REQ_F_BL_EMPTY;