init_waitqueue_head(&dell_bl->wait_queue);
        dell_bl->dev = dev;
 
+       serdev_device_set_drvdata(serdev, dell_bl);
+       serdev_device_set_client_ops(serdev, &dell_uart_bl_serdev_ops);
+
        ret = devm_serdev_device_open(dev, serdev);
        if (ret)
                return dev_err_probe(dev, ret, "opening UART device\n");
        /* 9600 bps, no flow control, these are the default but set them to be sure */
        serdev_device_set_baudrate(serdev, 9600);
        serdev_device_set_flow_control(serdev, false);
-       serdev_device_set_drvdata(serdev, dell_bl);
-       serdev_device_set_client_ops(serdev, &dell_uart_bl_serdev_ops);
 
        get_version[0] = DELL_SOF(GET_CMD_LEN);
        get_version[1] = CMD_GET_VERSION;