diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_sip.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_sip.c
index d24bfa9e8234..e69941f1a101 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_sip.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_sip.c
@@ -1366,6 +1366,10 @@ static int process_register_request(struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int protoff,
 		goto store_cseq;
 	}
 
+	helper = rcu_dereference(nfct_help(ct)->helper);
+	if (!helper)
+		return NF_DROP;
+
 	exp = nf_ct_expect_alloc(ct);
 	if (!exp) {
 		nf_ct_helper_log(skb, ct, "cannot alloc expectation");
@@ -1376,10 +1380,6 @@ static int process_register_request(struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int protoff,
 	if (sip_direct_signalling)
 		saddr = &ct->tuplehash[!dir].tuple.src.u3;
 
-	helper = rcu_dereference(nfct_help(ct)->helper);
-	if (!helper)
-		return NF_DROP;
-
 	nf_ct_expect_init(exp, SIP_EXPECT_SIGNALLING, nf_ct_l3num(ct),
 			  saddr, &daddr, proto, NULL, &port);
 	exp->timeout.expires = sip_timeout * HZ;