/* Make sure ep is closed before returning and freeing memory. */
        if (ep) {
-               while (ep->state != QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED && wait_count++ < 200)
+               while (READ_ONCE(ep->state) != QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED &&
+                      wait_count++ < 200)
                        msleep(100);
 
                if (ep->state != QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED)
 
        params.ep_context = ep;
 
-       ep->state = QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED;
-
        switch (fw_return_code) {
        case RDMA_RETURN_OK:
                ep->qp->max_rd_atomic_req = ep->cm_info.ord;
                break;
        }
 
+       if (fw_return_code != RDMA_RETURN_OK)
+               /* paired with READ_ONCE in destroy_qp */
+               smp_store_release(&ep->state, QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED);
+
        ep->event_cb(ep->cb_context, ¶ms);
 
        /* on passive side, if there is no associated QP (REJECT) we need to
        params.status = (fw_return_code == IWARP_QP_IN_ERROR_GOOD_CLOSE) ?
                         0 : -ECONNRESET;
 
-       ep->state = QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED;
+       /* paired with READ_ONCE in destroy_qp */
+       smp_store_release(&ep->state, QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED);
+
        spin_lock_bh(&p_hwfn->p_rdma_info->iwarp.iw_lock);
        list_del(&ep->list_entry);
        spin_unlock_bh(&p_hwfn->p_rdma_info->iwarp.iw_lock);
        params.event = QED_IWARP_EVENT_ACTIVE_COMPLETE;
        params.ep_context = ep;
        params.cm_info = &ep->cm_info;
-       ep->state = QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED;
+       /* paired with READ_ONCE in destroy_qp */
+       smp_store_release(&ep->state, QED_IWARP_EP_CLOSED);
 
        switch (fw_return_code) {
        case IWARP_CONN_ERROR_TCP_CONNECT_INVALID_PACKET: