diff --git a/src/mux_quic.c b/src/mux_quic.c
index 1d1764e41..c343f8c9e 100644
--- a/src/mux_quic.c
+++ b/src/mux_quic.c
@@ -1575,12 +1575,6 @@ int qcc_recv(struct qcc *qcc, uint64_t id, uint64_t len, uint64_t offset,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!qcs_get_ncbuf(qcs, &qcs->rx.ncbuf) || ncb_is_null(&qcs->rx.ncbuf)) {
-		TRACE_ERROR("receive ncbuf alloc failure", QMUX_EV_QCC_RECV|QMUX_EV_QCS_RECV, qcc->conn, qcs);
-		qcc_set_error(qcc, QC_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, 0);
-		goto err;
-	}
-
 	TRACE_DATA("newly received offset", QMUX_EV_QCC_RECV|QMUX_EV_QCS_RECV, qcc->conn, qcs);
 	if (offset < qcs->rx.offset) {
 		size_t diff = qcs->rx.offset - offset;
@@ -1591,6 +1585,12 @@ int qcc_recv(struct qcc *qcc, uint64_t id, uint64_t len, uint64_t offset,
 	}
 
 	if (len) {
+		if (!qcs_get_ncbuf(qcs, &qcs->rx.ncbuf) || ncb_is_null(&qcs->rx.ncbuf)) {
+			TRACE_ERROR("receive ncbuf alloc failure", QMUX_EV_QCC_RECV|QMUX_EV_QCS_RECV, qcc->conn, qcs);
+			qcc_set_error(qcc, QC_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, 0);
+			goto err;
+		}
+
 		ret = ncb_add(&qcs->rx.ncbuf, offset - qcs->rx.offset, data, len, NCB_ADD_COMPARE);
 		switch (ret) {
 		case NCB_RET_OK: