diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/function/u_serial.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/function/u_serial.c
index b8854e8a771f..e466ac1cd9cb 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/function/u_serial.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/function/u_serial.c
@@ -538,20 +538,16 @@ static int gs_alloc_requests(struct usb_ep *ep, struct list_head *head,
 static int gs_start_io(struct gs_port *port)
 {
 	struct list_head	*head = &port->read_pool;
-	struct usb_ep		*ep;
+	struct usb_ep		*ep = port->port_usb->out;
 	int			status;
 	unsigned		started;
 
-	if (!port->port_usb || !port->port.tty)
-		return -EIO;
-
 	/* Allocate RX and TX I/O buffers.  We can't easily do this much
 	 * earlier (with GFP_KERNEL) because the requests are coupled to
 	 * endpoints, as are the packet sizes we'll be using.  Different
 	 * configurations may use different endpoints with a given port;
 	 * and high speed vs full speed changes packet sizes too.
 	 */
-	ep = port->port_usb->out;
 	status = gs_alloc_requests(ep, head, gs_read_complete,
 		&port->read_allocated);
 	if (status)
@@ -568,12 +564,22 @@ static int gs_start_io(struct gs_port *port)
 	port->n_read = 0;
 	started = gs_start_rx(port);
 
+	/*
+	 * The TTY may be set to NULL by gs_close() after gs_start_rx() or
+	 * gs_start_tx() release locks for endpoint request submission.
+	 */
+	if (!port->port.tty)
+		goto out;
+
 	if (started) {
 		gs_start_tx(port);
 		/* Unblock any pending writes into our circular buffer, in case
 		 * we didn't in gs_start_tx() */
+		if (!port->port.tty)
+			goto out;
 		tty_wakeup(port->port.tty);
 	} else {
+out:
 		gs_free_requests(ep, head, &port->read_allocated);
 		gs_free_requests(port->port_usb->in, &port->write_pool,
 			&port->write_allocated);