diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstringbuffer.c b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstringbuffer.c
index de74bcd9c2..3cd90334fb 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstringbuffer.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstringbuffer.c
@@ -1960,6 +1960,12 @@ gst_ring_buffer_prepare_read (GstRingBuffer * buf, gint * segment,
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_RING_BUFFER (buf), FALSE);
 
+  if (buf->callback == NULL) {
+    /* push mode, fail when nothing is started */
+    if (g_atomic_int_get (&buf->state) != GST_RING_BUFFER_STATE_STARTED)
+      return FALSE;
+  }
+
   g_return_val_if_fail (buf->data != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (segment != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (readptr != NULL, FALSE);
@@ -1967,12 +1973,6 @@ gst_ring_buffer_prepare_read (GstRingBuffer * buf, gint * segment,
 
   data = GST_BUFFER_DATA (buf->data);
 
-  if (buf->callback == NULL) {
-    /* push mode, fail when nothing is started */
-    if (g_atomic_int_get (&buf->state) != GST_RING_BUFFER_STATE_STARTED)
-      return FALSE;
-  }
-
   /* get the position of the pointer */
   segdone = g_atomic_int_get (&buf->segdone);