diff --git a/drivers/ntb/ntb_transport.c b/drivers/ntb/ntb_transport.c
index 25e973ff64cfba63a323027a9acaa1347e2c9527..a049f96fab8d44c335e94c9f69d8b48dfbc1e281 100644
--- a/drivers/ntb/ntb_transport.c
+++ b/drivers/ntb/ntb_transport.c
@@ -439,13 +439,17 @@ static ssize_t debugfs_read(struct file *filp, char __user *ubuf, size_t count,
 	char *buf;
 	ssize_t ret, out_offset, out_count;
 
+	qp = filp->private_data;
+
+	if (!qp || !qp->link_is_up)
+		return 0;
+
 	out_count = 1000;
 
 	buf = kmalloc(out_count, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!buf)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	qp = filp->private_data;
 	out_offset = 0;
 	out_offset += snprintf(buf + out_offset, out_count - out_offset,
 			       "NTB QP stats\n");