diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
index 8024843521ab..7b256d716251 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
@@ -826,14 +826,15 @@ struct kib_conn *kiblnd_create_conn(struct kib_peer *peer, struct rdma_cm_id *cm
 	return conn;
 
  failed_2:
-	kiblnd_destroy_conn(conn, true);
+	kiblnd_destroy_conn(conn);
+	LIBCFS_FREE(conn, sizeof(*conn));
  failed_1:
 	LIBCFS_FREE(init_qp_attr, sizeof(*init_qp_attr));
  failed_0:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-void kiblnd_destroy_conn(struct kib_conn *conn, bool free_conn)
+void kiblnd_destroy_conn(struct kib_conn *conn)
 {
 	struct rdma_cm_id *cmid = conn->ibc_cmid;
 	struct kib_peer *peer = conn->ibc_peer;
@@ -896,8 +897,6 @@ void kiblnd_destroy_conn(struct kib_conn *conn, bool free_conn)
 		rdma_destroy_id(cmid);
 		atomic_dec(&net->ibn_nconns);
 	}
-
-	LIBCFS_FREE(conn, sizeof(*conn));
 }
 
 int kiblnd_close_peer_conns_locked(struct kib_peer *peer, int why)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.h b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.h
index 171eced213f8..b18911d09e9a 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.h
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ int  kiblnd_close_peer_conns_locked(struct kib_peer *peer, int why);
 struct kib_conn *kiblnd_create_conn(struct kib_peer *peer,
 				    struct rdma_cm_id *cmid,
 				    int state, int version);
-void kiblnd_destroy_conn(struct kib_conn *conn, bool free_conn);
+void kiblnd_destroy_conn(struct kib_conn *conn);
 void kiblnd_close_conn(struct kib_conn *conn, int error);
 void kiblnd_close_conn_locked(struct kib_conn *conn, int error);
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
index 40e3af5d8b04..2f25642ea1a6 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
@@ -3314,11 +3314,13 @@ kiblnd_connd(void *arg)
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(lock, flags);
 			dropped_lock = 1;
 
-			kiblnd_destroy_conn(conn, !peer);
+			kiblnd_destroy_conn(conn);
 
 			spin_lock_irqsave(lock, flags);
-			if (!peer)
+			if (!peer) {
+				kfree(conn);
 				continue;
+			}
 
 			conn->ibc_peer = peer;
 			if (peer->ibp_reconnected < KIB_RECONN_HIGH_RACE)