diff --git a/drivers/platform/msm/ipa/ipa_v3/ipa_dp.c b/drivers/platform/msm/ipa/ipa_v3/ipa_dp.c
index 2589f2b35c8e..5ba5c7c6fb81 100644
--- a/drivers/platform/msm/ipa/ipa_v3/ipa_dp.c
+++ b/drivers/platform/msm/ipa/ipa_v3/ipa_dp.c
@@ -345,20 +345,22 @@ static void ipa3_send_nop_desc(struct work_struct *work)
 		return;
 	}
 	list_add_tail(&tx_pkt->link, &sys->head_desc_list);
-	sys->len++;
-	sys->nop_pending = false;
 
 	memset(&nop_xfer, 0, sizeof(nop_xfer));
 	nop_xfer.type = GSI_XFER_ELEM_NOP;
 	nop_xfer.flags = GSI_XFER_FLAG_EOT;
 	nop_xfer.xfer_user_data = tx_pkt;
 	if (gsi_queue_xfer(sys->ep->gsi_chan_hdl, 1, &nop_xfer, true)) {
+		list_del(&tx_pkt->link);
+		kmem_cache_free(ipa3_ctx->tx_pkt_wrapper_cache, tx_pkt);
 		spin_unlock_bh(&sys->spinlock);
 		IPAERR("gsi_queue_xfer for ch:%lu failed\n",
 			sys->ep->gsi_chan_hdl);
 		queue_work(sys->wq, &sys->work);
 		return;
 	}
+	sys->len++;
+	sys->nop_pending = false;
 	spin_unlock_bh(&sys->spinlock);
 
 	/* make sure TAG process is sent before clocks are gated */