if (!list_empty(&nesdev->cqp_avail_reqs)) {
                spin_lock_irqsave(&nesdev->cqp.lock, flags);
-               cqp_request = list_entry(nesdev->cqp_avail_reqs.next,
+               if (!list_empty(&nesdev->cqp_avail_reqs)) {
+                       cqp_request = list_entry(nesdev->cqp_avail_reqs.next,
                                struct nes_cqp_request, list);
-               list_del_init(&cqp_request->list);
+                       list_del_init(&cqp_request->list);
+               }
                spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nesdev->cqp.lock, flags);
-       } else {
+       }
+       if (cqp_request == NULL) {
                cqp_request = kzalloc(sizeof(struct nes_cqp_request), GFP_KERNEL);
                if (cqp_request) {
                        cqp_request->dynamic = 1;