diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index ec984bf782..939fe3193a 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -1653,9 +1653,8 @@ int net_fill_rstate(SocketReadState *rs, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
             if (rs->index >= rs->packet_len) {
                 rs->index = 0;
                 rs->state = 0;
-                if (rs->finalize) {
-                    rs->finalize(rs);
-                }
+                assert(rs->finalize);
+                rs->finalize(rs);
             }
             break;
         }
diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index 982c8debe4..fe3547b018 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ static int net_socket_listen_init(NetClientState *peer,
     s->fd = -1;
     s->listen_fd = ret;
     s->nc.link_down = true;
+    net_socket_rs_init(&s->rs, net_socket_rs_finalize);
 
     qemu_set_fd_handler(s->listen_fd, net_socket_accept, NULL, s);
     qapi_free_SocketAddress(saddr);