diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
index 69c51f1a5bf0..8ebda0b6a78b 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_gre.c
@@ -878,6 +878,7 @@ static int ip6gre_xmit_other(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 static netdev_tx_t ip6gre_tunnel_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	struct net_device *dev)
 {
+	struct ip_tunnel_info *tun_info = NULL;
 	struct ip6_tnl *t = netdev_priv(dev);
 	__be16 payload_protocol;
 	int ret;
@@ -888,6 +889,9 @@ static netdev_tx_t ip6gre_tunnel_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	if (!ip6_tnl_xmit_ctl(t, &t->parms.laddr, &t->parms.raddr))
 		goto tx_err;
 
+	if (t->parms.collect_md)
+		tun_info = skb_tunnel_info_txcheck(skb);
+
 	payload_protocol = skb_protocol(skb, true);
 	switch (payload_protocol) {
 	case htons(ETH_P_IP):
@@ -907,7 +911,7 @@ static netdev_tx_t ip6gre_tunnel_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	return NETDEV_TX_OK;
 
 tx_err:
-	if (!t->parms.collect_md || !IS_ERR(skb_tunnel_info_txcheck(skb)))
+	if (!IS_ERR(tun_info))
 		DEV_STATS_INC(dev, tx_errors);
 	DEV_STATS_INC(dev, tx_dropped);
 	kfree_skb(skb);