diff --git a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/intel_tex_copy.c b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/intel_tex_copy.c
index e0d5cadb6f6..4fe3585296d 100644
--- a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/intel_tex_copy.c
+++ b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/intel_tex_copy.c
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@ intel_copy_texsubimage(struct brw_context *brw,
 {
    const GLenum internalFormat = intelImage->base.Base.InternalFormat;
 
+   if (!intelImage->mt || !irb || !irb->mt) {
+      if (unlikely(INTEL_DEBUG & DEBUG_PERF))
+	 fprintf(stderr, "%s fail %p %p (0x%08x)\n",
+		 __func__, intelImage->mt, irb, internalFormat);
+      return false;
+   }
+
    /* No pixel transfer operations (zoom, bias, mapping), just a blit */
    if (brw->ctx._ImageTransferState)
       return false;
@@ -69,13 +76,6 @@ intel_copy_texsubimage(struct brw_context *brw,
    /* glCopyTexSubImage() can't be called on a multisampled texture. */
    assert(intelImage->base.Base.NumSamples == 0);
 
-   if (!intelImage->mt || !irb || !irb->mt) {
-      if (unlikely(INTEL_DEBUG & DEBUG_PERF))
-	 fprintf(stderr, "%s fail %p %p (0x%08x)\n",
-		 __func__, intelImage->mt, irb, internalFormat);
-      return false;
-   }
-
    /* account for view parameters and face index */
    int dst_level = intelImage->base.Base.Level +
                    intelImage->base.Base.TexObject->MinLevel;