diff --git a/src/imagination/vulkan/pvr_cmd_buffer.c b/src/imagination/vulkan/pvr_cmd_buffer.c
index 36e3c710c26..d004f54f5ef 100644
--- a/src/imagination/vulkan/pvr_cmd_buffer.c
+++ b/src/imagination/vulkan/pvr_cmd_buffer.c
@@ -7252,15 +7252,16 @@ static bool pvr_is_stencil_store_load_needed(
 
    hw_render_idx = state->current_sub_cmd->gfx.hw_render_idx;
    hw_render = &pass->hw_setup->renders[hw_render_idx];
+
+   if (hw_render->ds_attach_idx == VK_ATTACHMENT_UNUSED)
+      return false;
+
    attachment = attachments[hw_render->ds_attach_idx];
 
    if (!(vk_src_stage_mask & fragment_test_stages) &&
        vk_dst_stage_mask & VK_PIPELINE_STAGE_FRAGMENT_SHADER_BIT)
       return false;
 
-   if (hw_render->ds_attach_idx == VK_ATTACHMENT_UNUSED)
-      return false;
-
    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < memory_barrier_count; i++) {
       const uint32_t stencil_write_bit =
          VK_ACCESS_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_WRITE_BIT;