diff --git a/fs/ceph/snap.c b/fs/ceph/snap.c
index 3360a131490f5..1354bc1d7f3a3 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/snap.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/snap.c
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	struct ceph_mds_snap_realm *ri;    /* encoded */
 	__le64 *snaps;                     /* encoded */
 	__le64 *prior_parent_snaps;        /* encoded */
-	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm = NULL;
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm;
 	struct ceph_snap_realm *first_realm = NULL;
 	int invalidate = 0;
 	int err = -ENOMEM;
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 
 	dout("update_snap_trace deletion=%d\n", deletion);
 more:
+	realm = NULL;
 	ceph_decode_need(&p, e, sizeof(*ri), bad);
 	ri = p;
 	p += sizeof(*ri);