diff --git a/net/smc/af_smc.c b/net/smc/af_smc.c
index 1c9289f56dc4..211cd91b6c40 100644
--- a/net/smc/af_smc.c
+++ b/net/smc/af_smc.c
@@ -632,10 +632,12 @@ static int smc_connect_decline_fallback(struct smc_sock *smc, int reason_code,
 
 static void smc_conn_abort(struct smc_sock *smc, int local_first)
 {
+	struct smc_connection *conn = &smc->conn;
+	struct smc_link_group *lgr = conn->lgr;
+
+	smc_conn_free(conn);
 	if (local_first)
-		smc_lgr_cleanup_early(&smc->conn);
-	else
-		smc_conn_free(&smc->conn);
+		smc_lgr_cleanup_early(lgr);
 }
 
 /* check if there is a rdma device available for this connection. */
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_core.c b/net/smc/smc_core.c
index a6849362f4dd..c9a8092c4ac9 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_core.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_core.c
@@ -171,8 +171,10 @@ static int smc_lgr_register_conn(struct smc_connection *conn, bool first)
 
 	if (!conn->lgr->is_smcd) {
 		rc = smcr_lgr_conn_assign_link(conn, first);
-		if (rc)
+		if (rc) {
+			conn->lgr = NULL;
 			return rc;
+		}
 	}
 	/* find a new alert_token_local value not yet used by some connection
 	 * in this link group
@@ -622,15 +624,13 @@ int smcd_nl_get_lgr(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 	return skb->len;
 }
 
-void smc_lgr_cleanup_early(struct smc_connection *conn)
+void smc_lgr_cleanup_early(struct smc_link_group *lgr)
 {
-	struct smc_link_group *lgr = conn->lgr;
 	spinlock_t *lgr_lock;
 
 	if (!lgr)
 		return;
 
-	smc_conn_free(conn);
 	smc_lgr_list_head(lgr, &lgr_lock);
 	spin_lock_bh(lgr_lock);
 	/* do not use this link group for new connections */
@@ -1832,8 +1832,10 @@ create:
 		write_lock_bh(&lgr->conns_lock);
 		rc = smc_lgr_register_conn(conn, true);
 		write_unlock_bh(&lgr->conns_lock);
-		if (rc)
+		if (rc) {
+			smc_lgr_cleanup_early(lgr);
 			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 	conn->local_tx_ctrl.common.type = SMC_CDC_MSG_TYPE;
 	conn->local_tx_ctrl.len = SMC_WR_TX_SIZE;
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_core.h b/net/smc/smc_core.h
index d63b08274197..73d0c35d3eb7 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_core.h
+++ b/net/smc/smc_core.h
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ static inline void smc_set_pci_values(struct pci_dev *pci_dev,
 struct smc_sock;
 struct smc_clc_msg_accept_confirm;
 
-void smc_lgr_cleanup_early(struct smc_connection *conn);
+void smc_lgr_cleanup_early(struct smc_link_group *lgr);
 void smc_lgr_terminate_sched(struct smc_link_group *lgr);
 void smcr_port_add(struct smc_ib_device *smcibdev, u8 ibport);
 void smcr_port_err(struct smc_ib_device *smcibdev, u8 ibport);