diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/pci.c b/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/pci.c
index a4095284543677d28fc39852361ede477546f654..c2b83a57c581c594dcfa215dd2d2bfb6c5391b7c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/pci.c
@@ -669,11 +669,6 @@ static void _rtl_pci_rx_interrupt(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 							 &rx_status,
 							 (u8 *) pdesc, skb);
 
-			pci_unmap_single(rtlpci->pdev,
-					 *((dma_addr_t *) skb->cb),
-					 rtlpci->rxbuffersize,
-					 PCI_DMA_FROMDEVICE);
-
 			skb_put(skb, rtlpriv->cfg->ops->get_desc((u8 *) pdesc,
 							 false,
 							 HW_DESC_RXPKT_LEN));
@@ -690,6 +685,21 @@ static void _rtl_pci_rx_interrupt(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 			hdr = rtl_get_hdr(skb);
 			fc = rtl_get_fc(skb);
 
+			/* try for new buffer - if allocation fails, drop
+			 * frame and reuse old buffer
+			 */
+			new_skb = dev_alloc_skb(rtlpci->rxbuffersize);
+			if (unlikely(!new_skb)) {
+				RT_TRACE(rtlpriv, (COMP_INTR | COMP_RECV),
+					 DBG_DMESG,
+					 ("can't alloc skb for rx\n"));
+				goto done;
+			}
+			pci_unmap_single(rtlpci->pdev,
+					 *((dma_addr_t *) skb->cb),
+					 rtlpci->rxbuffersize,
+					 PCI_DMA_FROMDEVICE);
+
 			if (!stats.crc || !stats.hwerror) {
 				memcpy(IEEE80211_SKB_RXCB(skb), &rx_status,
 				       sizeof(rx_status));
@@ -758,15 +768,7 @@ static void _rtl_pci_rx_interrupt(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 				rtl_lps_leave(hw);
 			}
 
-			new_skb = dev_alloc_skb(rtlpci->rxbuffersize);
-			if (unlikely(!new_skb)) {
-				RT_TRACE(rtlpriv, (COMP_INTR | COMP_RECV),
-					 DBG_DMESG,
-					 ("can't alloc skb for rx\n"));
-				goto done;
-			}
 			skb = new_skb;
-			/*skb->dev = dev; */
 
 			rtlpci->rx_ring[rx_queue_idx].rx_buf[rtlpci->
 							     rx_ring