diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/scan.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/scan.c
index 94ee549344118987e2e2a73ded2c13fc00a1f2f0..80c73d88c83f9e2ca7e717312e1165921ad3d037 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/scan.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/scan.c
@@ -673,10 +673,6 @@ int ubi_scan_erase_peb(const struct ubi_device *ubi,
 	int err;
 	struct ubi_ec_hdr *ec_hdr;
 
-	ec_hdr = kzalloc(ubi->ec_hdr_alsize, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ec_hdr)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
 	if ((long long)ec >= UBI_MAX_ERASECOUNTER) {
 		/*
 		 * Erase counter overflow. Upgrade UBI and use 64-bit
@@ -686,6 +682,10 @@ int ubi_scan_erase_peb(const struct ubi_device *ubi,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	ec_hdr = kzalloc(ubi->ec_hdr_alsize, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ec_hdr)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	ec_hdr->ec = cpu_to_be64(ec);
 
 	err = ubi_io_sync_erase(ubi, pnum, 0);