diff --git a/sys/dev/sis/if_sis.c b/sys/dev/sis/if_sis.c
index 67ad81a2b4a0..feef0bf460e9 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sis/if_sis.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sis/if_sis.c
@@ -1566,8 +1566,8 @@ sis_newbuf(struct sis_softc *sc, struct sis_rxdesc *rxd)
 	sc->sis_rx_sparemap = map;
 	bus_dmamap_sync(sc->sis_rx_tag, rxd->rx_dmamap, BUS_DMASYNC_PREREAD);
 	rxd->rx_m = m;
-	rxd->rx_desc->sis_cmdsts = htole32(SIS_RXLEN);
 	rxd->rx_desc->sis_ptr = htole32(SIS_ADDR_LO(segs[0].ds_addr));
+	rxd->rx_desc->sis_cmdsts = htole32(SIS_RXLEN);
 	return (0);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/sis/if_sisreg.h b/sys/dev/sis/if_sisreg.h
index 058d9e72a7b7..c86a13d890eb 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sis/if_sisreg.h
+++ b/sys/dev/sis/if_sisreg.h
@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@
 struct sis_desc {
 	/* SiS hardware descriptor section */
 	uint32_t		sis_next;
-	uint32_t		sis_cmdsts;
-	uint32_t		sis_ptr;
+	volatile uint32_t	sis_cmdsts;
+	volatile uint32_t	sis_ptr;
 };
 
 #define SIS_CMDSTS_BUFLEN	0x00000FFF