diff --git a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
index 2c2f88338f..d58696c7df 100644
--- a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
@@ -196,25 +196,21 @@ static void qobject_input_start_list(Visitor *v, const char *name,
     QObject *qobj = qobject_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
     const QListEntry *entry;
 
+    if (list) {
+        *list = NULL;
+    }
     if (!qobj) {
         return;
     }
     if (qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QLIST) {
-        if (list) {
-            *list = NULL;
-        }
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "list");
         return;
     }
 
     entry = qobject_input_push(qiv, qobj, list);
-    if (list) {
-        if (entry) {
-            *list = g_malloc0(size);
-        } else {
-            *list = NULL;
-        }
+    if (entry && list) {
+        *list = g_malloc0(size);
     }
 }