diff --git a/block/qcow2-refcount.c b/block/qcow2-refcount.c
index 5d57e677bc..153e5ca087 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-refcount.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-refcount.c
@@ -1860,71 +1860,73 @@ static int check_refcounts_l1(BlockDriverState *bs,
                               int flags, BdrvCheckMode fix, bool active)
 {
     BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;
-    uint64_t *l1_table = NULL, l2_offset, l1_size2;
+    size_t l1_size_bytes = l1_size * L1E_SIZE;
+    g_autofree uint64_t *l1_table = NULL;
+    uint64_t l2_offset;
     int i, ret;
 
-    l1_size2 = l1_size * L1E_SIZE;
+    if (!l1_size) {
+        return 0;
+    }
 
     /* Mark L1 table as used */
     ret = qcow2_inc_refcounts_imrt(bs, res, refcount_table, refcount_table_size,
-                                   l1_table_offset, l1_size2);
+                                   l1_table_offset, l1_size_bytes);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        goto fail;
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    l1_table = g_try_malloc(l1_size_bytes);
+    if (l1_table == NULL) {
+        res->check_errors++;
+        return -ENOMEM;
     }
 
     /* Read L1 table entries from disk */
-    if (l1_size2 > 0) {
-        l1_table = g_try_malloc(l1_size2);
-        if (l1_table == NULL) {
-            ret = -ENOMEM;
-            res->check_errors++;
-            goto fail;
-        }
-        ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, l1_table_offset, l1_table, l1_size2);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: I/O error in check_refcounts_l1\n");
-            res->check_errors++;
-            goto fail;
-        }
-        for(i = 0;i < l1_size; i++)
-            be64_to_cpus(&l1_table[i]);
+    ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, l1_table_offset, l1_table, l1_size_bytes);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: I/O error in check_refcounts_l1\n");
+        res->check_errors++;
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < l1_size; i++) {
+        be64_to_cpus(&l1_table[i]);
     }
 
     /* Do the actual checks */
-    for(i = 0; i < l1_size; i++) {
-        l2_offset = l1_table[i];
-        if (l2_offset) {
-            /* Mark L2 table as used */
-            l2_offset &= L1E_OFFSET_MASK;
-            ret = qcow2_inc_refcounts_imrt(bs, res,
-                                           refcount_table, refcount_table_size,
-                                           l2_offset, s->cluster_size);
-            if (ret < 0) {
-                goto fail;
-            }
+    for (i = 0; i < l1_size; i++) {
+        if (!l1_table[i]) {
+            continue;
+        }
 
-            /* L2 tables are cluster aligned */
-            if (offset_into_cluster(s, l2_offset)) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "ERROR l2_offset=%" PRIx64 ": Table is not "
-                    "cluster aligned; L1 entry corrupted\n", l2_offset);
-                res->corruptions++;
-            }
+        l2_offset = l1_table[i] & L1E_OFFSET_MASK;
 
-            /* Process and check L2 entries */
-            ret = check_refcounts_l2(bs, res, refcount_table,
-                                     refcount_table_size, l2_offset, flags,
-                                     fix, active);
-            if (ret < 0) {
-                goto fail;
-            }
+        /* Mark L2 table as used */
+        ret = qcow2_inc_refcounts_imrt(bs, res,
+                                       refcount_table, refcount_table_size,
+                                       l2_offset, s->cluster_size);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        /* L2 tables are cluster aligned */
+        if (offset_into_cluster(s, l2_offset)) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "ERROR l2_offset=%" PRIx64 ": Table is not "
+                "cluster aligned; L1 entry corrupted\n", l2_offset);
+            res->corruptions++;
+        }
+
+        /* Process and check L2 entries */
+        ret = check_refcounts_l2(bs, res, refcount_table,
+                                 refcount_table_size, l2_offset, flags,
+                                 fix, active);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            return ret;
         }
     }
-    g_free(l1_table);
-    return 0;
 
-fail:
-    g_free(l1_table);
-    return ret;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 /*
