diff --git a/io_uring/rw.c b/io_uring/rw.c
index 4943d683508b4d1502594ceb7e27cf9453d51532..0c856726b15db330daf6470d3e8baea4d90ad17b 100644
--- a/io_uring/rw.c
+++ b/io_uring/rw.c
@@ -589,15 +589,19 @@ static inline int io_rw_prep_async(struct io_kiocb *req, int rw)
 	struct iovec *iov;
 	int ret;
 
+	iorw->bytes_done = 0;
+	iorw->free_iovec = NULL;
+
 	/* submission path, ->uring_lock should already be taken */
 	ret = io_import_iovec(rw, req, &iov, &iorw->s, 0);
 	if (unlikely(ret < 0))
 		return ret;
 
-	iorw->bytes_done = 0;
-	iorw->free_iovec = iov;
-	if (iov)
+	if (iov) {
+		iorw->free_iovec = iov;
 		req->flags |= REQ_F_NEED_CLEANUP;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }