diff --git a/crypto/pkcs12/p12_mutl.c b/crypto/pkcs12/p12_mutl.c
index 9da65fe61..4cf68e17e 100644
--- a/crypto/pkcs12/p12_mutl.c
+++ b/crypto/pkcs12/p12_mutl.c
@@ -208,11 +208,11 @@ int PKCS12_setup_mac(PKCS12 *p12, int iter, unsigned char *salt, int saltlen,
     }
     if (!saltlen)
         saltlen = PKCS12_SALT_LEN;
-    p12->mac->salt->length = saltlen;
     if ((p12->mac->salt->data = OPENSSL_malloc(saltlen)) == NULL) {
         PKCS12err(PKCS12_F_PKCS12_SETUP_MAC, ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE);
         return 0;
     }
+    p12->mac->salt->length = saltlen;
     if (!salt) {
         if (RAND_bytes(p12->mac->salt->data, saltlen) <= 0)
             return 0;