diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index dee3ef485..6b37b1b7b 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -311,6 +311,9 @@ nvmf_post_rdma_read(struct spdk_nvmf_conn *conn,
 	}
 	conn->rdma.pending_rdma_read_count++;
 
+	/* temporarily adjust SGE to only copy what the host is prepared to send. */
+	rx_desc->bb_sgl.length = req->length;
+
 	nvmf_ibv_send_wr_init(&wr, req, &rx_desc->bb_sgl, (uint64_t)tx_desc,
 			      IBV_WR_RDMA_READ, IBV_SEND_SIGNALED);
 
@@ -336,6 +339,9 @@ nvmf_post_rdma_write(struct spdk_nvmf_conn *conn,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* temporarily adjust SGE to only copy what the host is prepared to receive. */
+	rx_desc->bb_sgl.length = req->length;
+
 	nvmf_ibv_send_wr_init(&wr, req, &rx_desc->bb_sgl, (uint64_t)tx_desc,
 			      IBV_WR_RDMA_WRITE, 0);
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/request.c b/lib/nvmf/request.c
index 9859d9c78..574bd7fb7 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/request.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/request.c
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ int
 spdk_nvmf_request_complete(struct nvmf_request *req)
 {
 	struct nvme_qp_tx_desc *tx_desc = req->tx_desc;
-	struct nvme_qp_rx_desc *rx_desc = req->rx_desc;
 	struct spdk_nvme_cpl *response;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -61,10 +60,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_complete(struct nvmf_request *req)
 	if (response->status.sc == SPDK_NVME_SC_SUCCESS &&
 	    req->xfer == SPDK_NVME_DATA_CONTROLLER_TO_HOST) {
 		/* data to be copied to host via memory RDMA */
-
-		/* temporarily adjust SGE to only copy what the host is prepared to receive. */
-		rx_desc->bb_sgl.length = req->length;
-
 		ret = nvmf_post_rdma_write(tx_desc->conn, tx_desc);
 		if (ret) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to post rdma write tx descriptor\n");
@@ -742,10 +737,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_prep_data(struct nvmf_request *req)
 		if (xfer == SPDK_NVME_DATA_HOST_TO_CONTROLLER) {
 			if (sgl->generic.type == SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_KEYED_DATA_BLOCK) {
 				SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_RDMA, "Issuing RDMA Read to get host data\n");
-
-				/* temporarily adjust SGE to only copy what the host is prepared to send. */
-				rx_desc->bb_sgl.length = req->length;
-
 				ret = nvmf_post_rdma_read(conn, tx_desc);
 				if (ret) {
 					SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to post rdma read tx descriptor\n");