diff --git a/net/smc/smc_llc.c b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
index cef2c1df3ab9..de367510813b 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_llc.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
@@ -1482,7 +1482,7 @@ int smc_llc_srv_add_link(struct smc_link *link,
 	}
 	add_llc = &qentry->msg.add_link;
 	if (add_llc->hd.flags & SMC_LLC_FLAG_ADD_LNK_REJ) {
-		smc_llc_flow_qentry_del(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl);
+		smc_llc_flow_qentry_clr(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl);
 		rc = -ENOLINK;
 		goto out_err;
 	}
@@ -1493,7 +1493,8 @@ int smc_llc_srv_add_link(struct smc_link *link,
 		lgr_new_t = SMC_LGR_ASYMMETRIC_PEER;
 	}
 	smc_llc_save_add_link_info(link_new, add_llc);
-	smc_llc_flow_qentry_del(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl);
+	/* add_llc still points into qentry, so only detach it here */
+	smc_llc_flow_qentry_clr(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl);
 
 	rc = smc_ib_ready_link(link_new);
 	if (rc)
@@ -1513,14 +1514,14 @@ int smc_llc_srv_add_link(struct smc_link *link,
 	rc = smc_llc_srv_conf_link(link, link_new, lgr_new_t);
 	if (rc)
 		goto out_err;
-	kfree(ini);
-	return 0;
+	goto out;
 out_err:
 	if (link_new) {
 		link_new->state = SMC_LNK_INACTIVE;
 		smcr_link_clear(link_new, false);
 	}
 out:
+	kfree(qentry);
 	kfree(ini);
 	if (send_req_add_link_resp)
 		smc_llc_send_req_add_link_response(req_qentry);