diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
index 6a8563633d4b00a3fdc5f992553aaa9553e232d9..f8eba1c5412f9518a2c30bb3cf6ae365c8d9fbb1 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
@@ -372,12 +372,13 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(tty_insert_flip_string_flags);
  */
 int __tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port, unsigned char ch, char flag)
 {
-	struct tty_buffer *tb = port->buf.tail;
+	struct tty_buffer *tb;
 	int flags = (flag == TTY_NORMAL) ? TTYB_NORMAL : 0;
 
 	if (!__tty_buffer_request_room(port, 1, flags))
 		return 0;
 
+	tb = port->buf.tail;
 	if (~tb->flags & TTYB_NORMAL)
 		*flag_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used) = flag;
 	*char_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used++) = ch;