diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/gbuf.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/gbuf.c
index 1d0dd4acfa2a..5ffd257de68f 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/gbuf.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/gbuf.c
@@ -38,32 +38,12 @@ struct gbuf *greybus_alloc_gbuf(struct greybus_host_device *hd,
 				unsigned int size,
 				gfp_t gfp_mask)
 {
-	struct gbuf *gbuf;
-	int retval;
-
-	gbuf = kmem_cache_zalloc(gbuf_head_cache, gfp_mask);
-	if (!gbuf)
-		return NULL;
-
-	gbuf->hd = hd;
-	gbuf->dest_cport_id = dest_cport_id;
-	gbuf->status = -EBADR;	/* Initial value--means "never set" */
-
-	/* Host controller specific allocation for the actual buffer */
-	retval = hd->driver->alloc_gbuf_data(gbuf, size, gfp_mask);
-	if (retval) {
-		kmem_cache_free(gbuf_head_cache, gbuf);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	return gbuf;
+	return kmem_cache_zalloc(gbuf_head_cache, gfp_mask);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(greybus_alloc_gbuf);
 
 void greybus_free_gbuf(struct gbuf *gbuf)
 {
-	gbuf->hd->driver->free_gbuf_data(gbuf);
-
 	kmem_cache_free(gbuf_head_cache, gbuf);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(greybus_free_gbuf);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus.h b/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus.h
index d6bfe6b2f70f..e1f918d50df2 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus.h
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ void greybus_cport_in(struct greybus_host_device *hd, u16 cport_id,
 			u8 *data, size_t length);
 
 struct gbuf *greybus_alloc_gbuf(struct greybus_host_device *hd,
-				u16 dest_cport_id, unsigned int size,
+				u16 dest_cport_id,
+				unsigned int size,
 				gfp_t gfp_mask);
 void greybus_free_gbuf(struct gbuf *gbuf);
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
index 18186fd2db8c..ab03e3edc807 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
@@ -202,10 +202,13 @@ static int gb_operation_message_init(struct gb_operation *operation,
 					bool request, bool data_out)
 {
 	struct gb_connection *connection = operation->connection;
+	struct greybus_host_device *hd = connection->hd;
 	struct gb_message *message;
 	struct gb_operation_msg_hdr *header;
+	struct gbuf *gbuf;
 	gfp_t gfp_flags = data_out ? GFP_KERNEL : GFP_ATOMIC;
 	u16 dest_cport_id;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (size > GB_OPERATION_MESSAGE_SIZE_MAX)
 		return -E2BIG;
@@ -224,19 +227,27 @@ static int gb_operation_message_init(struct gb_operation *operation,
 	if (message->gbuf)
 		return -EALREADY;	/* Sanity check */
 	size += sizeof(*header);
-	message->gbuf = greybus_alloc_gbuf(connection->hd, dest_cport_id,
-					size, gfp_flags);
-	if (!message->gbuf)
+	gbuf = greybus_alloc_gbuf(hd, dest_cport_id, size, gfp_flags);
+	if (!gbuf)
 		return -ENOMEM;
+	gbuf->hd = hd;
+	gbuf->dest_cport_id = dest_cport_id;
+	gbuf->status = -EBADR;	/* Initial value--means "never set" */
+	ret = hd->driver->alloc_gbuf_data(gbuf, size, gfp_flags);
+	if (ret) {
+		greybus_free_gbuf(gbuf);
+		return ret;
+	}
 
 	/* Fill in the header structure */
-	header = (struct gb_operation_msg_hdr *)message->gbuf->transfer_buffer;
+	header = (struct gb_operation_msg_hdr *)gbuf->transfer_buffer;
 	header->size = cpu_to_le16(size);
 	header->id = 0;		/* Filled in when submitted */
 	header->type = type;
 
 	message->payload = header + 1;
 	message->operation = operation;
+	message->gbuf = gbuf;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -245,6 +256,7 @@ static void gb_operation_message_exit(struct gb_message *message)
 {
 	message->operation = NULL;
 	message->payload = NULL;
+	message->gbuf->hd->driver->free_gbuf_data(message->gbuf);
 	greybus_free_gbuf(message->gbuf);
 	message->gbuf = NULL;
 }