diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_cp.c b/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_cp.c
index 7561aa7d3e01..086d1b54bdb0 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_cp.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_cp.c
@@ -455,9 +455,6 @@ static int ccwchain_handle_ccw(dma32_t cda, struct channel_program *cp)
 	/* Loop for tics on this new chain. */
 	ret = ccwchain_loop_tic(chain, cp);
 
-	if (ret)
-		ccwchain_free(chain);
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -486,6 +483,23 @@ static int ccwchain_loop_tic(struct ccwchain *chain, struct channel_program *cp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int ccwchain_build_ccws(dma32_t cda, struct channel_program *cp)
+{
+	struct ccwchain *chain, *temp;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = ccwchain_handle_ccw(cda, cp);
+
+	if (ret) {
+		/* Cleanup if an error occurred */
+		list_for_each_entry_safe(chain, temp, &cp->ccwchain_list, next) {
+			ccwchain_free(chain);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int ccwchain_fetch_tic(struct ccw1 *ccw,
 			      struct channel_program *cp)
 {
@@ -735,7 +749,7 @@ int cp_init(struct channel_program *cp, union orb *orb)
 	memcpy(&cp->orb, orb, sizeof(*orb));
 
 	/* Build a ccwchain for the first CCW segment */
-	ret = ccwchain_handle_ccw(orb->cmd.cpa, cp);
+	ret = ccwchain_build_ccws(orb->cmd.cpa, cp);
 
 	if (!ret)
 		cp->initialized = true;