diff --git a/drivers/dma/pxa_dma.c b/drivers/dma/pxa_dma.c
index fa2ee0b3e09f..fc43124fefa8 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/pxa_dma.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/pxa_dma.c
@@ -744,6 +744,7 @@ pxad_alloc_desc(struct pxad_chan *chan, unsigned int nb_hw_desc)
 	sw_desc = kzalloc_flex(*sw_desc, hw_desc, nb_hw_desc, GFP_NOWAIT);
 	if (!sw_desc)
 		return NULL;
+	sw_desc->nb_desc = nb_hw_desc;
 	sw_desc->desc_pool = chan->desc_pool;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nb_hw_desc; i++) {
@@ -752,10 +753,10 @@ pxad_alloc_desc(struct pxad_chan *chan, unsigned int nb_hw_desc)
 			dev_err(&chan->vc.chan.dev->device,
 				"%s(): Couldn't allocate the %dth hw_desc from dma_pool %p\n",
 				__func__, i, sw_desc->desc_pool);
+			sw_desc->nb_desc = i;
 			goto err;
 		}
 
-		sw_desc->nb_desc++;
 		sw_desc->hw_desc[i] = desc;
 
 		if (i == 0)