* than the full array, but leave the qcq shells in place
         */
        for (i = lif->nxqs; i < lif->ionic->ntxqs_per_lif; i++) {
-               lif->txqcqs[i]->flags &= ~IONIC_QCQ_F_INTR;
-               ionic_qcq_free(lif, lif->txqcqs[i]);
+               if (lif->txqcqs && lif->txqcqs[i]) {
+                       lif->txqcqs[i]->flags &= ~IONIC_QCQ_F_INTR;
+                       ionic_qcq_free(lif, lif->txqcqs[i]);
+               }
 
-               lif->rxqcqs[i]->flags &= ~IONIC_QCQ_F_INTR;
-               ionic_qcq_free(lif, lif->rxqcqs[i]);
+               if (lif->rxqcqs && lif->rxqcqs[i]) {
+                       lif->rxqcqs[i]->flags &= ~IONIC_QCQ_F_INTR;
+                       ionic_qcq_free(lif, lif->rxqcqs[i]);
+               }
        }
 
        if (err)