diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
index af335f8266c2..3eefe8171925 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio_net.c
@@ -3319,8 +3319,6 @@ static int virtnet_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 		}
 	}
 
-	_virtnet_set_queues(vi, vi->curr_queue_pairs);
-
 	/* serialize netdev register + virtio_device_ready() with ndo_open() */
 	rtnl_lock();
 
@@ -3333,6 +3331,8 @@ static int virtnet_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 
 	virtio_device_ready(vdev);
 
+	_virtnet_set_queues(vi, vi->curr_queue_pairs);
+
 	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	err = virtnet_cpu_notif_add(vi);