diff --git a/net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c b/net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c
index 0874029cb0f2..3706b4a85a0f 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c
@@ -1649,13 +1649,13 @@ ip_set_dump_do(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 			if (cb->args[IPSET_CB_PROTO] > IPSET_PROTOCOL_MIN &&
 			    nla_put_net16(skb, IPSET_ATTR_INDEX, htons(index)))
 				goto nla_put_failure;
+			if (set->variant->uref)
+				set->variant->uref(set, cb, true);
 			ret = set->variant->head(set, skb);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				goto release_refcount;
 			if (dump_flags & IPSET_FLAG_LIST_HEADER)
 				goto next_set;
-			if (set->variant->uref)
-				set->variant->uref(set, cb, true);
 			fallthrough;
 		default:
 			ret = set->variant->list(set, skb, cb);