diff --git a/drivers/misc/cxl/context.c b/drivers/misc/cxl/context.c
index 26d206b1d08c..edbb99e93114 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/cxl/context.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/cxl/context.c
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ int cxl_context_init(struct cxl_context *ctx, struct cxl_afu *afu, bool master,
 	ctx->pending_fault = false;
 	ctx->pending_afu_err = false;
 
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ctx->irq_names);
+
 	/*
 	 * When we have to destroy all contexts in cxl_context_detach_all() we
 	 * end up with afu_release_irqs() called from inside a
diff --git a/drivers/misc/cxl/irq.c b/drivers/misc/cxl/irq.c
index 8def4553acba..f3a7d4aa1cd5 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/cxl/irq.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/cxl/irq.c
@@ -260,9 +260,6 @@ int afu_allocate_irqs(struct cxl_context *ctx, u32 count)
 	else
 		alloc_count = count + 1;
 
-	/* Initialize the list head to hold irq names */
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ctx->irq_names);
-
 	if ((rc = cxl_ops->alloc_irq_ranges(&ctx->irqs, ctx->afu->adapter,
 							alloc_count)))
 		return rc;