diff --git a/hw/block/nvme.c b/hw/block/nvme.c
index e10fc774fc..fe17aa5d70 100644
--- a/hw/block/nvme.c
+++ b/hw/block/nvme.c
@@ -615,6 +615,10 @@ static uint16_t nvme_del_cq(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeCmd *cmd)
 static void nvme_init_cq(NvmeCQueue *cq, NvmeCtrl *n, uint64_t dma_addr,
     uint16_t cqid, uint16_t vector, uint16_t size, uint16_t irq_enabled)
 {
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = msix_vector_use(&n->parent_obj, vector);
+    assert(ret == 0);
     cq->ctrl = n;
     cq->cqid = cqid;
     cq->size = size;
@@ -625,7 +629,6 @@ static void nvme_init_cq(NvmeCQueue *cq, NvmeCtrl *n, uint64_t dma_addr,
     cq->head = cq->tail = 0;
     QTAILQ_INIT(&cq->req_list);
     QTAILQ_INIT(&cq->sq_list);
-    msix_vector_use(&n->parent_obj, cq->vector);
     n->cq[cqid] = cq;
     cq->timer = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, nvme_post_cqes, cq);
 }