diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
index 8150c5c3a16b..b90adcb73b06 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
@@ -239,13 +239,34 @@ void iwl_rx_allocate(struct iwl_priv *priv, gfp_t priority)
 	struct iwl_rx_queue *rxq = &priv->rxq;
 	struct list_head *element;
 	struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer *rxb;
+	struct sk_buff *skb;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	while (1) {
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&rxq->lock, flags);
+		if (list_empty(&rxq->rx_used)) {
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
+			return;
+		}
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
+
+		/* Alloc a new receive buffer */
+		skb = alloc_skb(priv->hw_params.rx_buf_size + 256,
+						priority);
+
+		if (!skb) {
+			IWL_CRIT(priv, "Can not allocate SKB buffers\n");
+			/* We don't reschedule replenish work here -- we will
+			 * call the restock method and if it still needs
+			 * more buffers it will schedule replenish */
+			break;
+		}
+
 		spin_lock_irqsave(&rxq->lock, flags);
 
 		if (list_empty(&rxq->rx_used)) {
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
+			dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
 			return;
 		}
 		element = rxq->rx_used.next;
@@ -254,18 +275,7 @@ void iwl_rx_allocate(struct iwl_priv *priv, gfp_t priority)
 
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
 
-		/* Alloc a new receive buffer */
-		rxb->skb = alloc_skb(priv->hw_params.rx_buf_size + 256,
-						priority);
-
-		if (!rxb->skb) {
-			IWL_CRIT(priv, "Can not allocate SKB buffers\n");
-			/* We don't reschedule replenish work here -- we will
-			 * call the restock method and if it still needs
-			 * more buffers it will schedule replenish */
-			break;
-		}
-
+		rxb->skb = skb;
 		/* Get physical address of RB/SKB */
 		rxb->real_dma_addr = pci_map_single(
 					priv->pci_dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
index 2238c9f2018c..090966837f3c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
@@ -1134,6 +1134,7 @@ static void iwl3945_rx_allocate(struct iwl_priv *priv, gfp_t priority)
 	struct iwl_rx_queue *rxq = &priv->rxq;
 	struct list_head *element;
 	struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer *rxb;
+	struct sk_buff *skb;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	while (1) {
@@ -1143,17 +1144,11 @@ static void iwl3945_rx_allocate(struct iwl_priv *priv, gfp_t priority)
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
 			return;
 		}
-
-		element = rxq->rx_used.next;
-		rxb = list_entry(element, struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer, list);
-		list_del(element);
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
 
 		/* Alloc a new receive buffer */
-		rxb->skb =
-		    alloc_skb(priv->hw_params.rx_buf_size,
-				priority);
-		if (!rxb->skb) {
+		skb = alloc_skb(priv->hw_params.rx_buf_size, priority);
+		if (!skb) {
 			if (net_ratelimit())
 				IWL_CRIT(priv, ": Can not allocate SKB buffers\n");
 			/* We don't reschedule replenish work here -- we will
@@ -1162,6 +1157,19 @@ static void iwl3945_rx_allocate(struct iwl_priv *priv, gfp_t priority)
 			break;
 		}
 
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&rxq->lock, flags);
+		if (list_empty(&rxq->rx_used)) {
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
+			dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
+			return;
+		}
+		element = rxq->rx_used.next;
+		rxb = list_entry(element, struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer, list);
+		list_del(element);
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rxq->lock, flags);
+
+		rxb->skb = skb;
+
 		/* If radiotap head is required, reserve some headroom here.
 		 * The physical head count is a variable rx_stats->phy_count.
 		 * We reserve 4 bytes here. Plus these extra bytes, the