diff --git a/drivers/misc/ibmvmc.c b/drivers/misc/ibmvmc.c
index beb18c34f20d..1f2968d9d01b 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/ibmvmc.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/ibmvmc.c
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ static ssize_t ibmvmc_write(struct file *file, const char *buffer,
 			    size_t count, loff_t *ppos)
 {
 	struct inode *inode;
-	struct ibmvmc_buffer *vmc_buffer;
+	struct ibmvmc_buffer *vmc_buffer = NULL;
 	struct ibmvmc_file_session *session;
 	struct crq_server_adapter *adapter;
 	struct ibmvmc_hmc *hmc;
@@ -1130,9 +1130,15 @@ static ssize_t ibmvmc_write(struct file *file, const char *buffer,
 	dev_dbg(adapter->dev, "write: file = 0x%lx, count = 0x%lx\n",
 		(unsigned long)file, (unsigned long)count);
 
-	ibmvmc_send_msg(adapter, vmc_buffer, hmc, count);
+	if (ibmvmc_send_msg(adapter, vmc_buffer, hmc, count)) {
+		ret = -EIO;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	vmc_buffer = NULL;
 	ret = p - buffer;
  out:
+	if (vmc_buffer)
+		vmc_buffer->free = 1;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&hmc->lock, flags);
 	return (ssize_t)(ret);
 }