diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
index d37bb9b97569..a65c9969f7fc 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_resp.c
@@ -969,7 +969,6 @@ static int send_atomic_ack(struct rxe_qp *qp, struct rxe_pkt_info *pkt,
 	int rc = 0;
 	struct rxe_pkt_info ack_pkt;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	struct sk_buff *skb_copy;
 	struct rxe_dev *rxe = to_rdev(qp->ibqp.device);
 	struct resp_res *res;
 
@@ -981,14 +980,7 @@ static int send_atomic_ack(struct rxe_qp *qp, struct rxe_pkt_info *pkt,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	skb_copy = skb_clone(skb, GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (skb_copy)
-		rxe_add_ref(qp); /* for the new SKB */
-	else {
-		pr_warn("Could not clone atomic response\n");
-		rc = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out;
-	}
+	rxe_add_ref(qp);
 
 	res = &qp->resp.resources[qp->resp.res_head];
 	free_rd_atomic_resource(qp, res);
@@ -998,19 +990,18 @@ static int send_atomic_ack(struct rxe_qp *qp, struct rxe_pkt_info *pkt,
 	memset((unsigned char *)SKB_TO_PKT(skb) + sizeof(ack_pkt), 0,
 	       sizeof(skb->cb) - sizeof(ack_pkt));
 
+	refcount_inc(&skb->users);
 	res->type = RXE_ATOMIC_MASK;
 	res->atomic.skb = skb;
 	res->first_psn = ack_pkt.psn;
 	res->last_psn  = ack_pkt.psn;
 	res->cur_psn   = ack_pkt.psn;
 
-	rc = rxe_xmit_packet(rxe, qp, &ack_pkt, skb_copy);
+	rc = rxe_xmit_packet(rxe, qp, &ack_pkt, skb);
 	if (rc) {
 		pr_err_ratelimited("Failed sending ack\n");
 		rxe_drop_ref(qp);
-		kfree_skb(skb_copy);
 	}
-
 out:
 	return rc;
 }