diff --git a/fs/io_uring.c b/fs/io_uring.c
index efad9106576be47e4a89f5def473dbc17ed47e0d..617023002fd3f74b74fb80ce33ab6cd724a2b92e 100644
--- a/fs/io_uring.c
+++ b/fs/io_uring.c
@@ -579,6 +579,7 @@ static struct io_kiocb *io_get_req(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx,
 		state->cur_req++;
 	}
 
+	req->file = NULL;
 	req->ctx = ctx;
 	req->flags = 0;
 	/* one is dropped after submission, the other at completion */
@@ -1798,10 +1799,8 @@ static int io_req_set_file(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx, const struct sqe_submit *s,
 		req->sequence = ctx->cached_sq_head - 1;
 	}
 
-	if (!io_op_needs_file(s->sqe)) {
-		req->file = NULL;
+	if (!io_op_needs_file(s->sqe))
 		return 0;
-	}
 
 	if (flags & IOSQE_FIXED_FILE) {
 		if (unlikely(!ctx->user_files ||