diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_txrx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_txrx.c
index a48088eb9b82..83cc9504e7e1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_txrx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/idpf/idpf_txrx.c
@@ -2326,7 +2326,7 @@ void idpf_wait_for_sw_marker_completion(const struct idpf_tx_queue *txq)
 
 	do {
 		struct idpf_splitq_4b_tx_compl_desc *tx_desc;
-		struct idpf_tx_queue *target;
+		struct idpf_tx_queue *target = NULL;
 		u32 ctype_gen, id;
 
 		tx_desc = flow ? &complq->comp[ntc].common :
@@ -2346,14 +2346,14 @@ void idpf_wait_for_sw_marker_completion(const struct idpf_tx_queue *txq)
 		target = complq->txq_grp->txqs[id];
 
 		idpf_queue_clear(SW_MARKER, target);
-		if (target == txq)
-			break;
 
 next:
 		if (unlikely(++ntc == complq->desc_count)) {
 			ntc = 0;
 			gen_flag = !gen_flag;
 		}
+		if (target == txq)
+			break;
 	} while (time_before(jiffies, timeout));
 
 	idpf_queue_assign(GEN_CHK, complq, gen_flag);