diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
index c2937644342899639640db23ee451c68fcc06afd..d208f860498106013913211183baa39a37f33982 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
@@ -426,10 +426,10 @@ static void receive_buf(struct receive_queue *rq, void *buf, unsigned int len)
 	if (unlikely(len < sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr) + ETH_HLEN)) {
 		pr_debug("%s: short packet %i\n", dev->name, len);
 		dev->stats.rx_length_errors++;
-		if (vi->big_packets)
-			give_pages(rq, buf);
-		else if (vi->mergeable_rx_bufs)
+		if (vi->mergeable_rx_bufs)
 			put_page(virt_to_head_page(buf));
+		else if (vi->big_packets)
+			give_pages(rq, buf);
 		else
 			dev_kfree_skb(buf);
 		return;