diff --git a/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c b/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
index 42377ef9ea3d..f65eaf00fce6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
+++ b/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
@@ -261,13 +261,6 @@ static int omap_mbox_startup(struct omap_mbox *mbox)
 	}
 
 	if (!mbox->use_count++) {
-		ret = request_irq(mbox->irq, mbox_interrupt, IRQF_SHARED,
-							mbox->name, mbox);
-		if (unlikely(ret)) {
-			pr_err("failed to register mailbox interrupt:%d\n",
-									ret);
-			goto fail_request_irq;
-		}
 		mq = mbox_queue_alloc(mbox, NULL, mbox_tx_tasklet);
 		if (!mq) {
 			ret = -ENOMEM;
@@ -282,17 +275,24 @@ static int omap_mbox_startup(struct omap_mbox *mbox)
 		}
 		mbox->rxq = mq;
 		mq->mbox = mbox;
+		ret = request_irq(mbox->irq, mbox_interrupt, IRQF_SHARED,
+							mbox->name, mbox);
+		if (unlikely(ret)) {
+			pr_err("failed to register mailbox interrupt:%d\n",
+									ret);
+			goto fail_request_irq;
+		}
 
 		omap_mbox_enable_irq(mbox, IRQ_RX);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&mbox_configured_lock);
 	return 0;
 
+fail_request_irq:
+	mbox_queue_free(mbox->rxq);
 fail_alloc_rxq:
 	mbox_queue_free(mbox->txq);
 fail_alloc_txq:
-	free_irq(mbox->irq, mbox);
-fail_request_irq:
 	if (mbox->ops->shutdown)
 		mbox->ops->shutdown(mbox);
 	mbox->use_count--;