diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
index f5049735ac..83fc20e49e 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ static void vuf_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev)
 {
     VirtIODevice *vdev = VIRTIO_DEVICE(dev);
     VHostUserFS *fs = VHOST_USER_FS(dev);
+    struct vhost_virtqueue *vhost_vqs = fs->vhost_dev.vqs;
     int i;
 
     /* This will stop vhost backend if appropriate. */
@@ -288,8 +289,7 @@ static void vuf_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev)
     }
     g_free(fs->req_vqs);
     virtio_cleanup(vdev);
-    g_free(fs->vhost_dev.vqs);
-    fs->vhost_dev.vqs = NULL;
+    g_free(vhost_vqs);
 }
 
 static struct vhost_dev *vuf_get_vhost(VirtIODevice *vdev)