diff --git a/fs/io_uring.c b/fs/io_uring.c
index a8f6c5798bae6af3f4b3c07594d2f0cbf6400033..1a4cb6ec28dd7aab47083f8f05963de7c613dbe1 100644
--- a/fs/io_uring.c
+++ b/fs/io_uring.c
@@ -6633,9 +6633,7 @@ static int io_sqe_files_unregister(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
 		return -ENXIO;
 
 	spin_lock(&data->lock);
-	if (!list_empty(&data->ref_list))
-		ref_node = list_first_entry(&data->ref_list,
-				struct fixed_file_ref_node, node);
+	ref_node = data->node;
 	spin_unlock(&data->lock);
 	if (ref_node)
 		percpu_ref_kill(&ref_node->refs);