diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_msg.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_msg.c
index 59e9d05ab928b49f2c6ca1f3a0cd5fbecdd56a1b..0af048d1a8156acfdb24af337f3b3479c4bb1004 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_msg.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_msg.c
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ static int vmw_recv_msg(struct rpc_channel *channel, void **msg,
 				     !!(HIGH_WORD(ecx) & MESSAGE_STATUS_HB));
 		if ((HIGH_WORD(ebx) & MESSAGE_STATUS_SUCCESS) == 0) {
 			kfree(reply);
-
+			reply = NULL;
 			if ((HIGH_WORD(ebx) & MESSAGE_STATUS_CPT) != 0) {
 				/* A checkpoint occurred. Retry. */
 				continue;
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ static int vmw_recv_msg(struct rpc_channel *channel, void **msg,
 
 		if ((HIGH_WORD(ecx) & MESSAGE_STATUS_SUCCESS) == 0) {
 			kfree(reply);
-
+			reply = NULL;
 			if ((HIGH_WORD(ecx) & MESSAGE_STATUS_CPT) != 0) {
 				/* A checkpoint occurred. Retry. */
 				continue;
@@ -389,10 +389,8 @@ static int vmw_recv_msg(struct rpc_channel *channel, void **msg,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	if (retries == RETRIES) {
-		kfree(reply);
+	if (!reply)
 		return -EINVAL;
-	}
 
 	*msg_len = reply_len;
 	*msg     = reply;