diff --git a/drivers/mmc/host/mtk-sd.c b/drivers/mmc/host/mtk-sd.c
index 621c914dc5c01fbc2b1f2953ca75396bba52ff03..673f6a9616cd951451783567b97c767596684f95 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/host/mtk-sd.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/host/mtk-sd.c
@@ -1056,6 +1056,7 @@ static void msdc_start_command(struct msdc_host *host,
 	WARN_ON(host->cmd);
 	host->cmd = cmd;
 
+	mod_delayed_work(system_wq, &host->req_timeout, DAT_TIMEOUT);
 	if (!msdc_cmd_is_ready(host, mrq, cmd))
 		return;
 
@@ -1067,7 +1068,6 @@ static void msdc_start_command(struct msdc_host *host,
 
 	cmd->error = 0;
 	rawcmd = msdc_cmd_prepare_raw_cmd(host, mrq, cmd);
-	mod_delayed_work(system_wq, &host->req_timeout, DAT_TIMEOUT);
 
 	sdr_set_bits(host->base + MSDC_INTEN, cmd_ints_mask);
 	writel(cmd->arg, host->base + SDC_ARG);