diff --git a/drivers/scsi/st.c b/drivers/scsi/st.c
index 8e5013d9cad4..94e402ed30f6 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/st.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/st.c
@@ -4299,11 +4299,11 @@ static int st_probe(struct device *dev)
 	kref_init(&tpnt->kref);
 	tpnt->disk = disk;
 	disk->private_data = &tpnt->driver;
-	disk->queue = SDp->request_queue;
 	/* SCSI tape doesn't register this gendisk via add_disk().  Manually
 	 * take queue reference that release_disk() expects. */
-	if (!blk_get_queue(disk->queue))
+	if (!blk_get_queue(SDp->request_queue))
 		goto out_put_disk;
+	disk->queue = SDp->request_queue;
 	tpnt->driver = &st_template;
 
 	tpnt->device = SDp;