diff --git a/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_hw.c b/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_hw.c
index 03bb9260f3c2..e6efba6e62af 100644
--- a/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_hw.c
+++ b/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_hw.c
@@ -2374,6 +2374,16 @@ ql_hw_send(qla_host_t *ha, bus_dma_segment_t *segs, int nsegs,
 		}
 	}
 
+	for (i = 0; i < num_tx_cmds; i++) {
+		if (NULL != ha->tx_ring[txr_idx].tx_buf[(tx_idx+i)].m_head) {
+			QL_ASSERT(ha, 0, \
+				("%s: txr_idx = %d tx_idx = %d mbuf = %p\n",\
+				__func__, txr_idx, (tx_idx+i),\
+				ha->tx_ring[txr_idx].tx_buf[(tx_idx+i)].m_head));
+			return (EINVAL);
+		}
+	}
+
 	tx_cmd = &hw->tx_cntxt[txr_idx].tx_ring_base[tx_idx];
 
         if (!(mp->m_pkthdr.csum_flags & CSUM_TSO)) {
diff --git a/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_os.c b/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_os.c
index c4391a1b9871..bd17252b3c4c 100644
--- a/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_os.c
+++ b/sys/dev/qlxgbe/ql_os.c
@@ -1232,6 +1232,17 @@ qla_send(qla_host_t *ha, struct mbuf **m_headp, uint32_t txr_idx,
 	QL_DPRINT8(ha, (ha->pci_dev, "%s: enter\n", __func__));
 
 	tx_idx = ha->hw.tx_cntxt[txr_idx].txr_next;
+
+	if (NULL != ha->tx_ring[txr_idx].tx_buf[tx_idx].m_head) {
+		QL_ASSERT(ha, 0, ("%s: txr_idx = %d tx_idx = %d mbuf = %p\n",\
+			__func__, txr_idx, tx_idx,\
+			ha->tx_ring[txr_idx].tx_buf[tx_idx].m_head));
+		if (m_head)
+			m_freem(m_head);
+		*m_headp = NULL;
+		return (ret);
+	}
+
 	map = ha->tx_ring[txr_idx].tx_buf[tx_idx].map;
 
 	ret = bus_dmamap_load_mbuf_sg(ha->tx_tag, map, m_head, segs, &nsegs,