diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
index c28d7cb2035b1dbcb5425aaeff55294d3f4eb786..06d5c43bb2076950947992f55d0da7200cb70fb1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
@@ -335,16 +335,11 @@ static int start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 	free_old_xmit_skbs(vi);
 
 	/* If we has a buffer left over from last time, send it now. */
-	if (unlikely(vi->last_xmit_skb)) {
-		if (xmit_skb(vi, vi->last_xmit_skb) != 0) {
-			/* Drop this skb: we only queue one. */
-			vi->dev->stats.tx_dropped++;
-			kfree_skb(skb);
-			skb = NULL;
-			goto stop_queue;
-		}
-		vi->last_xmit_skb = NULL;
-	}
+	if (unlikely(vi->last_xmit_skb) &&
+	    xmit_skb(vi, vi->last_xmit_skb) != 0)
+		goto stop_queue;
+
+	vi->last_xmit_skb = NULL;
 
 	/* Put new one in send queue and do transmit */
 	if (likely(skb)) {
@@ -370,6 +365,11 @@ static int start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 		netif_start_queue(dev);
 		goto again;
 	}
+	if (skb) {
+		/* Drop this skb: we only queue one. */
+		vi->dev->stats.tx_dropped++;
+		kfree_skb(skb);
+	}
 	goto done;
 }