bytes = zfcp_qdio_sbals_from_sg(adapter->qdio, &req->queue_req,
                                        SBAL_FLAGS0_TYPE_WRITE_READ,
                                        sg_resp, max_sbals);
+       req->qtcb->bottom.support.resp_buf_length = bytes;
        if (bytes <= 0)
                return -EIO;
 
+       return 0;
+}
+
+static int zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els(struct zfcp_fsf_req *req,
+                                struct scatterlist *sg_req,
+                                struct scatterlist *sg_resp,
+                                int max_sbals)
+{
+       int ret;
+
+       ret = zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els_sbals(req, sg_req, sg_resp, max_sbals);
+       if (ret)
+               return ret;
+
        /* common settings for ct/gs and els requests */
-       req->qtcb->bottom.support.resp_buf_length = bytes;
        req->qtcb->bottom.support.service_class = FSF_CLASS_3;
        req->qtcb->bottom.support.timeout = 2 * R_A_TOV;
        zfcp_fsf_start_timer(req, 2 * R_A_TOV + 10);
        }
 
        req->status |= ZFCP_STATUS_FSFREQ_CLEANUP;
-       ret = zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els_sbals(req, ct->req, ct->resp,
-                                         FSF_MAX_SBALS_PER_REQ);
+       ret = zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els(req, ct->req, ct->resp,
+                                   FSF_MAX_SBALS_PER_REQ);
        if (ret)
                goto failed_send;
 
        }
 
        req->status |= ZFCP_STATUS_FSFREQ_CLEANUP;
-       ret = zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els_sbals(req, els->req, els->resp, 2);
+       ret = zfcp_fsf_setup_ct_els(req, els->req, els->resp, 2);
 
        if (ret)
                goto failed_send;