diff --git a/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mpt3sas_scsih.c b/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mpt3sas_scsih.c
index 5e8887fa02c8a..e3b7ebf464244 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mpt3sas_scsih.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mpt3sas_scsih.c
@@ -3670,6 +3670,7 @@ static struct fw_event_work *dequeue_next_fw_event(struct MPT3SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 		fw_event = list_first_entry(&ioc->fw_event_list,
 				struct fw_event_work, list);
 		list_del_init(&fw_event->list);
+		fw_event_work_put(fw_event);
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ioc->fw_event_lock, flags);
 
@@ -3751,7 +3752,6 @@ _scsih_fw_event_cleanup_queue(struct MPT3SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 		if (cancel_work_sync(&fw_event->work))
 			fw_event_work_put(fw_event);
 
-		fw_event_work_put(fw_event);
 	}
 	ioc->fw_events_cleanup = 0;
 }