diff --git a/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c b/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
index e204321f71b6cee29e30c3c8858c1aed17ea2d08..f0bbc1efd489d5818f5676b3768b8ed182d6135b 100644
--- a/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
+++ b/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
@@ -959,8 +959,11 @@ static bool e1000_clean_tx_irq(struct e1000_adapter *adapter)
 			tx_desc = E1000_TX_DESC(*tx_ring, i);
 			buffer_info = &tx_ring->buffer_info[i];
 			cleaned = (i == eop);
-
+#ifdef __VMKLNX__
+			if (cleaned && (buffer_info->skb != NULL)) {
+#else //!__VMKLNX__
 			if (cleaned) {
+#endif //__VMKLNX__
 				struct sk_buff *skb = buffer_info->skb;
 #ifdef NETIF_F_TSO
 				unsigned int segs, bytecount;