diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
index 296e372f36f1..08326eca68bc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
@@ -3772,6 +3772,7 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 				&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev);
 	if (!devlink) {
 		dev_err(&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev, "devlink alloc failed\n");
+		i--;
 		goto setup_nic_dev_free;
 	}
 
@@ -3792,11 +3793,11 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 
 setup_nic_dev_free:
 
-	while (i--) {
+	do {
 		dev_err(&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev,
 			"NIC ifidx:%d Setup failed\n", i);
 		liquidio_destroy_nic_device(octeon_dev, i);
-	}
+	} while (i--);
 
 setup_nic_dev_done: