diff --git a/ipc/sem.c b/ipc/sem.c
index 445a5b5eb88f..2b2ed56e0fde 100644
--- a/ipc/sem.c
+++ b/ipc/sem.c
@@ -479,7 +479,6 @@ static struct sem_array *sem_alloc(size_t nsems)
  */
 static int newary(struct ipc_namespace *ns, struct ipc_params *params)
 {
-	int id;
 	int retval;
 	struct sem_array *sma;
 	key_t key = params->key;
@@ -520,10 +519,10 @@ static int newary(struct ipc_namespace *ns, struct ipc_params *params)
 	sma->sem_nsems = nsems;
 	sma->sem_ctime = get_seconds();
 
-	id = ipc_addid(&sem_ids(ns), &sma->sem_perm, ns->sc_semmni);
-	if (id < 0) {
-		ipc_rcu_putref(&sma->sem_perm, sem_rcu_free);
-		return id;
+	retval = ipc_addid(&sem_ids(ns), &sma->sem_perm, ns->sc_semmni);
+	if (retval < 0) {
+		call_rcu(&sma->sem_perm.rcu, sem_rcu_free);
+		return retval;
 	}
 	ns->used_sems += nsems;