struct iser_conn       *iser_conn         = task->conn->dd_data;
        struct iser_device *device = iser_conn->ib_conn.device;
 
+       /* DEVICE_REMOVAL event might have already released the device */
+       if (!device)
+               return;
+
        ib_dma_unmap_single(device->ib_device,
                tx_desc->dma_addr, ISER_HEADERS_LEN, DMA_TO_DEVICE);
 
        struct iser_conn *iser_conn = conn->dd_data;
 
        iser_dbg("stopping iscsi_conn: %p, iser_conn: %p\n", conn, iser_conn);
-       iscsi_conn_stop(cls_conn, flag);
 
        /*
         * Userspace may have goofed up and not bound the connection or
         */
        if (iser_conn) {
                mutex_lock(&iser_conn->state_mutex);
+               iscsi_conn_stop(cls_conn, flag);
                iser_conn_terminate(iser_conn);
 
                /* unbind */
 
                complete(&iser_conn->stop_completion);
                mutex_unlock(&iser_conn->state_mutex);
+       } else {
+               iscsi_conn_stop(cls_conn, flag);
        }
 }