diff --git a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Xinput.c b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Xinput.c
index 36b92a9f7..a367ae3cb 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Xinput.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Xinput.c
@@ -766,6 +766,11 @@ xf86DeleteInput(InputInfoPtr pInp, int flags)
 
     FreeInputAttributes(pInp->attrs);
 
+    if (pInp->flags & XI86_SERVER_FD) {
+        systemd_logind_release_fd(pInp->major, pInp->minor);
+        close(pInp->fd);
+    }
+
     /* Remove the entry from the list. */
     if (pInp == xf86InputDevs)
         xf86InputDevs = pInp->next;
@@ -779,11 +784,6 @@ xf86DeleteInput(InputInfoPtr pInp, int flags)
         /* Else the entry wasn't in the xf86InputDevs list (ignore this). */
     }
 
-    if (pInp->flags & XI86_SERVER_FD) {
-        systemd_logind_release_fd(pInp->major, pInp->minor);
-        close(pInp->fd);
-    }
-
     free((void *) pInp->driver);
     free((void *) pInp->name);
     xf86optionListFree(pInp->options);