diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/upd.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/upd.c
index ec2c2dc1c1ca..2a1b6e037e1a 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/upd.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/upd.c
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ int ubi_start_update(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_volume *vol,
 	ubi_assert(!vol->updating && !vol->changing_leb);
 	vol->updating = 1;
 
+	vol->upd_buf = vmalloc(ubi->leb_size);
+	if (!vol->upd_buf)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	err = set_update_marker(ubi, vol);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
@@ -152,14 +156,12 @@ int ubi_start_update(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_volume *vol,
 		err = clear_update_marker(ubi, vol, 0);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
+
+		vfree(vol->upd_buf);
 		vol->updating = 0;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	vol->upd_buf = vmalloc(ubi->leb_size);
-	if (!vol->upd_buf)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
 	vol->upd_ebs = div_u64(bytes + vol->usable_leb_size - 1,
 			       vol->usable_leb_size);
 	vol->upd_bytes = bytes;