diff --git a/drivers/hid/wacom_sys.c b/drivers/hid/wacom_sys.c
index 3a06be1e163a..3e3bcf695296 100644
--- a/drivers/hid/wacom_sys.c
+++ b/drivers/hid/wacom_sys.c
@@ -72,11 +72,10 @@ static void wacom_wac_queue_flush(struct hid_device *hdev,
 {
 	while (!kfifo_is_empty(fifo)) {
 		int size = kfifo_peek_len(fifo);
-		u8 *buf;
+		u8 *buf __free(kfree) = kzalloc(size, GFP_ATOMIC);
 		unsigned int count;
 		int err;
 
-		buf = kzalloc(size, GFP_ATOMIC);
 		if (!buf) {
 			kfifo_skip(fifo);
 			continue;
@@ -89,7 +88,6 @@ static void wacom_wac_queue_flush(struct hid_device *hdev,
 			// to flush seems reasonable enough, however.
 			hid_warn(hdev, "%s: removed fifo entry with unexpected size\n",
 				 __func__);
-			kfree(buf);
 			continue;
 		}
 		err = hid_report_raw_event(hdev, HID_INPUT_REPORT, buf, size, size, false);
@@ -97,8 +95,6 @@ static void wacom_wac_queue_flush(struct hid_device *hdev,
 			hid_warn(hdev, "%s: unable to flush event due to error %d\n",
 				 __func__, err);
 		}
-
-		kfree(buf);
 	}
 }