complete(SRpnt->waiting);
 }
 
-static struct st_request *st_allocate_request(void)
+static struct st_request *st_allocate_request(struct scsi_tape *stp)
 {
-       return kzalloc(sizeof(struct st_request), GFP_KERNEL);
+       struct st_request *streq;
+
+       streq = kzalloc(sizeof(*streq), GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (streq)
+               streq->stp = stp;
+       else {
+               DEBC(printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Can't get SCSI request.\n",
+                           tape_name(stp)););
+               if (signal_pending(current))
+                       stp->buffer->syscall_result = -EINTR;
+               else
+                       stp->buffer->syscall_result = -EBUSY;
+       }
+
+       return streq;
 }
 
 static void st_release_request(struct st_request *streq)
                return NULL;
        }
 
-       if (SRpnt == NULL) {
-               SRpnt = st_allocate_request();
-               if (SRpnt == NULL) {
-                       DEBC( printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Can't get SCSI request.\n",
-                                    tape_name(STp)); );
-                       if (signal_pending(current))
-                               (STp->buffer)->syscall_result = (-EINTR);
-                       else
-                               (STp->buffer)->syscall_result = (-EBUSY);
+       if (!SRpnt) {
+               SRpnt = st_allocate_request(STp);
+               if (!SRpnt)
                        return NULL;
-               }
-               SRpnt->stp = STp;
        }
 
        /* If async IO, set last_SRpnt. This ptr tells write_behind_check