diff --git a/io_uring/io_uring.c b/io_uring/io_uring.c
index aa15e8d878a9..936abc6ee450 100644
--- a/io_uring/io_uring.c
+++ b/io_uring/io_uring.c
@@ -3485,14 +3485,17 @@ static inline int io_rw_prep_async(struct io_kiocb *req, int rw)
 	struct iovec *iov = iorw->fast_iov;
 	int ret;
 
+	iorw->bytes_done = 0;
+	iorw->free_iovec = NULL;
+
 	ret = io_import_iovec(rw, req, &iov, &iorw->iter, false);
 	if (unlikely(ret < 0))
 		return ret;
 
-	iorw->bytes_done = 0;
-	iorw->free_iovec = iov;
-	if (iov)
+	if (iov) {
+		iorw->free_iovec = iov;
 		req->flags |= REQ_F_NEED_CLEANUP;
+	}
 	iov_iter_save_state(&iorw->iter, &iorw->iter_state);
 	return 0;
 }