diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core.h b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core.h
index c33fbc4c2e91..959c65cf75d9 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core.h
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core.h
@@ -591,6 +591,11 @@ struct qeth_cmd_buffer {
 	void (*callback) (struct qeth_channel *, struct qeth_cmd_buffer *);
 };
 
+static inline struct qeth_ipa_cmd *__ipa_cmd(struct qeth_cmd_buffer *iob)
+{
+	return (struct qeth_ipa_cmd *)(iob->data + IPA_PDU_HEADER_SIZE);
+}
+
 /**
  * definition of a qeth channel, used for read and write
  */
diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
index 6abd3bc285e4..ca72f3311004 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
@@ -2120,7 +2120,7 @@ int qeth_send_control_data(struct qeth_card *card, int len,
 	unsigned long flags;
 	struct qeth_reply *reply = NULL;
 	unsigned long timeout, event_timeout;
-	struct qeth_ipa_cmd *cmd;
+	struct qeth_ipa_cmd *cmd = NULL;
 
 	QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "sendctl");
 
@@ -2146,10 +2146,13 @@ int qeth_send_control_data(struct qeth_card *card, int len,
 	while (atomic_cmpxchg(&card->write.irq_pending, 0, 1)) ;
 	qeth_prepare_control_data(card, len, iob);
 
-	if (IS_IPA(iob->data))
+	if (IS_IPA(iob->data)) {
+		cmd = __ipa_cmd(iob);
 		event_timeout = QETH_IPA_TIMEOUT;
-	else
+	} else {
 		event_timeout = QETH_TIMEOUT;
+	}
+
 	timeout = jiffies + event_timeout;
 
 	QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 6, "noirqpnd");
@@ -2174,9 +2177,8 @@ int qeth_send_control_data(struct qeth_card *card, int len,
 
 	/* we have only one long running ipassist, since we can ensure
 	   process context of this command we can sleep */
-	cmd = (struct qeth_ipa_cmd *)(iob->data+IPA_PDU_HEADER_SIZE);
-	if ((cmd->hdr.command == IPA_CMD_SETIP) &&
-	    (cmd->hdr.prot_version == QETH_PROT_IPV4)) {
+	if (cmd && cmd->hdr.command == IPA_CMD_SETIP &&
+	    cmd->hdr.prot_version == QETH_PROT_IPV4) {
 		if (!wait_event_timeout(reply->wait_q,
 		    atomic_read(&reply->received), event_timeout))
 			goto time_err;