diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/mdc/mdc_reint.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/mdc/mdc_reint.c
index 19f20c1b66b9338fa1bcc9230521c0008e07f8c7..08e80940ee4dc8cac3e165579463468e49b0d6ff 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/mdc/mdc_reint.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/mdc/mdc_reint.c
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ int mdc_setattr(struct obd_export *exp, struct md_op_data *op_data,
 	*request = req;
 	if (rc && req->rq_commit_cb) {
 		/* Put an extra reference on \var mod on error case. */
-		obd_mod_put(*mod);
+		if (mod != NULL && *mod != NULL)
+			obd_mod_put(*mod);
 		req->rq_commit_cb(req);
 	}
 	return rc;