diff --git a/net/smc/smc_llc.c b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
index 0ef15f8fba9020..d5ee961ca72d50 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_llc.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
@@ -716,6 +716,8 @@ static int smc_llc_add_link_cont(struct smc_link *link,
 	addc_llc->num_rkeys = *num_rkeys_todo;
 	n = *num_rkeys_todo;
 	for (i = 0; i < min_t(u8, n, SMC_LLC_RKEYS_PER_CONT_MSG); i++) {
+		while (*buf_pos && !(*buf_pos)->used)
+			*buf_pos = smc_llc_get_next_rmb(lgr, buf_lst, *buf_pos);
 		if (!*buf_pos) {
 			addc_llc->num_rkeys = addc_llc->num_rkeys -
 					      *num_rkeys_todo;
@@ -731,8 +733,6 @@ static int smc_llc_add_link_cont(struct smc_link *link,
 
 		(*num_rkeys_todo)--;
 		*buf_pos = smc_llc_get_next_rmb(lgr, buf_lst, *buf_pos);
-		while (*buf_pos && !(*buf_pos)->used)
-			*buf_pos = smc_llc_get_next_rmb(lgr, buf_lst, *buf_pos);
 	}
 	addc_llc->hd.common.type = SMC_LLC_ADD_LINK_CONT;
 	addc_llc->hd.length = sizeof(struct smc_llc_msg_add_link_cont);