diff --git a/drivers/net/macsec.c b/drivers/net/macsec.c
index e435681447fb..4296884d5b4d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/macsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/macsec.c
@@ -4269,6 +4269,9 @@ static int macsec_newlink(struct net_device *dev,
 	if (sci == MACSEC_UNDEF_SCI)
 		sci = dev_to_sci(dev, MACSEC_PORT_ES);
 
+	if (rx_handler && sci_exists(real_dev, sci))
+		return -EBUSY;
+
 	/* Registration can notify listeners before returning. */
 	macsec_init_secy(dev, sci, icv_len);
 	if (data) {
@@ -4289,11 +4292,6 @@ static int macsec_newlink(struct net_device *dev,
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto unregister;
 
-	if (rx_handler && sci_exists(real_dev, sci)) {
-		err = -EBUSY;
-		goto unlink;
-	}
-
 	/* If h/w offloading is available, propagate to the device */
 	if (macsec_is_offloaded(macsec)) {
 		const struct macsec_ops *ops;
@@ -4325,7 +4323,6 @@ static int macsec_newlink(struct net_device *dev,
 
 del_dev:
 	macsec_del_dev(macsec);
-unlink:
 	netdev_upper_dev_unlink(real_dev, dev);
 unregister:
 	unregister_netdevice(dev);