diff --git a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
index 1154f188421280..93e8d119d45f6b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
@@ -1668,6 +1668,10 @@ vmxnet3_rq_cleanup(struct vmxnet3_rx_queue *rq,
 	u32 i, ring_idx;
 	struct Vmxnet3_RxDesc *rxd;
 
+	/* ring has already been cleaned up */
+	if (!rq->rx_ring[0].base)
+		return;
+
 	for (ring_idx = 0; ring_idx < 2; ring_idx++) {
 		for (i = 0; i < rq->rx_ring[ring_idx].size; i++) {
 #ifdef __BIG_ENDIAN_BITFIELD