diff --git a/drivers/net/tulip/dmfe.c b/drivers/net/tulip/dmfe.c
index a9f7d5d1a2695f95a968001a93c1449b9ac998be..7064e035757a16b927d35aa61991268089275744 100644
--- a/drivers/net/tulip/dmfe.c
+++ b/drivers/net/tulip/dmfe.c
@@ -688,9 +688,6 @@ static netdev_tx_t dmfe_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 
 	DMFE_DBUG(0, "dmfe_start_xmit", 0);
 
-	/* Resource flag check */
-	netif_stop_queue(dev);
-
 	/* Too large packet check */
 	if (skb->len > MAX_PACKET_SIZE) {
 		pr_err("big packet = %d\n", (u16)skb->len);
@@ -698,6 +695,9 @@ static netdev_tx_t dmfe_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 		return NETDEV_TX_OK;
 	}
 
+	/* Resource flag check */
+	netif_stop_queue(dev);
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&db->lock, flags);
 
 	/* No Tx resource check, it never happen nromally */