diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
index d4b98690a736..789aa9eb0a1e 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
@@ -1113,6 +1113,7 @@ void transport_init_se_cmd(
 	init_completion(&cmd->cmd_wait_comp);
 	init_completion(&cmd->task_stop_comp);
 	spin_lock_init(&cmd->t_state_lock);
+	kref_init(&cmd->cmd_kref);
 	cmd->transport_state = CMD_T_DEV_ACTIVE;
 
 	cmd->se_tfo = tfo;
@@ -2357,7 +2358,6 @@ int target_get_sess_cmd(struct se_session *se_sess, struct se_cmd *se_cmd,
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	kref_init(&se_cmd->cmd_kref);
 	/*
 	 * Add a second kref if the fabric caller is expecting to handle
 	 * fabric acknowledgement that requires two target_put_sess_cmd()