diff --git a/mm/share_pool.c b/mm/share_pool.c
index f785b6ed418661d78a5cdb2c78a881eb5d64ab97..eb15ad9a24e3117fda3dff30d6a688caf2cbc360 100644
--- a/mm/share_pool.c
+++ b/mm/share_pool.c
@@ -549,8 +549,6 @@ int sp_group_add_task(int pid, int spg_id)
 	tsk = find_task_by_vpid(pid);
 	if (!tsk || (tsk->flags & PF_EXITING))
 		ret = -ESRCH;
-	else if (tsk->mm->sp_group)	/* if it's already in a sp_group */
-		ret = -EEXIST;
 	else
 		get_task_struct(tsk);
 
@@ -560,6 +558,11 @@ int sp_group_add_task(int pid, int spg_id)
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
 
+	if (!tsk->mm || tsk->mm->sp_group) {	/* if it's already in a sp_group */
+		ret = -EEXIST;
+		goto out_unlock;
+	}
+
 	spg = find_or_alloc_sp_group(spg_id);
 	if (IS_ERR(spg)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(spg);