diff --git a/scst/src/scst_lib.c b/scst/src/scst_lib.c
index 466815094..6fe04b6ba 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_lib.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_lib.c
@@ -5027,8 +5027,7 @@ static void scst_clear_reservation(struct scst_tgt_dev *tgt_dev)
 }
 
 struct scst_session *scst_alloc_session(struct scst_tgt *tgt, gfp_t gfp_mask,
-					const char *name,
-					const char *initiator_name)
+	const char *initiator_name)
 {
 	struct scst_session *sess;
 	int i;
@@ -5064,22 +5063,16 @@ struct scst_session *scst_alloc_session(struct scst_tgt *tgt, gfp_t gfp_mask,
 	spin_lock_init(&sess->lat_lock);
 #endif
 
-	sess->name = kstrdup(name, gfp_mask);
-	if (!sess->name)
-		goto out_free;
-
 	sess->initiator_name = kstrdup(initiator_name, gfp_mask);
 	if (sess->initiator_name == NULL) {
 		PRINT_ERROR("%s", "Unable to dup sess->initiator_name");
-		goto out_free_sess_name;
+		goto out_free;
 	}
 
 out:
 	TRACE_EXIT();
 	return sess;
 
-out_free_sess_name:
-	kfree(sess->name);
 out_free:
 	kmem_cache_free(scst_sess_cachep, sess);
 	sess = NULL;
@@ -5122,7 +5115,8 @@ void scst_free_session(struct scst_session *sess)
 
 	kfree(sess->transport_id);
 	kfree(sess->initiator_name);
-	kfree(sess->name);
+	if (sess->name != sess->initiator_name)
+		kfree(sess->name);
 
 	kmem_cache_free(scst_sess_cachep, sess);
 
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_priv.h b/scst/src/scst_priv.h
index 56c37c32b..1b360d8ad 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_priv.h
+++ b/scst/src/scst_priv.h
@@ -348,7 +348,6 @@ int scst_assign_dev_handler(struct scst_device *dev,
 	struct scst_dev_type *handler);
 
 struct scst_session *scst_alloc_session(struct scst_tgt *tgt, gfp_t gfp_mask,
-					const char *name,
 					const char *initiator_name);
 void scst_free_session(struct scst_session *sess);
 void scst_free_session_callback(struct scst_session *sess);
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_targ.c b/scst/src/scst_targ.c
index b6821a6b9..030857bbd 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_targ.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_targ.c
@@ -6412,6 +6412,42 @@ bool scst_initiator_has_luns(struct scst_tgt *tgt, const char *initiator_name)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(scst_initiator_has_luns);
 
+static char *scst_get_unique_sess_name(struct list_head *sess_list,
+				       const char* initiator_name)
+{
+	char *name = (char *)initiator_name;
+	struct scst_session *s;
+	int len = 0, n = 1;
+
+	BUG_ON(!initiator_name);
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 32)
+	lockdep_assert_held(&scst_mutex);
+#endif
+
+restart:
+	list_for_each_entry(s, sess_list, sess_list_entry) {
+		if (s->name && strcmp(name, s->name) == 0) {
+			TRACE_DBG("Duplicated session from the same initiator "
+				"%s found", name);
+
+			if (name == initiator_name) {
+				len = strlen(initiator_name) + 20;
+				name = kmalloc(len, GFP_KERNEL);
+				if (name == NULL) {
+					PRINT_ERROR("Unable to allocate a "
+						"replacement name (size %d)",
+						len);
+				}
+			}
+
+			snprintf(name, len, "%s_%d", initiator_name, n);
+			n++;
+			goto restart;
+		}
+	}
+	return name;
+}
+
 static int scst_init_session(struct scst_session *sess)
 {
 	int res = 0;
@@ -6448,6 +6484,12 @@ static int scst_init_session(struct scst_session *sess)
 				sess->transport_id), sess->tgt->rel_tgt_id);
 	}
 
+	res = -ENOMEM;
+	sess->name = scst_get_unique_sess_name(&sess->tgt->sess_list,
+					       sess->initiator_name);
+	if (!sess->name)
+		goto failed;
+
 	res = scst_sess_sysfs_create(sess);
 	if (res != 0)
 		goto failed;
@@ -6513,37 +6555,6 @@ restart:
 	return res;
 }
 
-static char *scst_get_unique_sess_name(struct list_head *sess_list,
-				       const char* initiator_name)
-{
-	char *name = (char *)initiator_name;
-	struct scst_session *s;
-	int len = 0, n = 1;
-
-restart:
-	list_for_each_entry(s, sess_list, sess_list_entry) {
-		if (strcmp(name, s->name) == 0) {
-			TRACE_DBG("Duplicated session from the same initiator "
-				"%s found", name);
-
-			if (name == initiator_name) {
-				len = strlen(initiator_name) + 20;
-				name = kmalloc(len, GFP_KERNEL);
-				if (name == NULL) {
-					PRINT_ERROR("Unable to allocate a "
-						"replacement name (size %d)",
-						len);
-				}
-			}
-
-			snprintf(name, len, "%s_%d", initiator_name, n);
-			n++;
-			goto restart;
-		}
-	}
-	return name;
-}
-
 /**
  * scst_register_session() - register session
  * @tgt:	target
@@ -6591,19 +6602,14 @@ struct scst_session *scst_register_session(struct scst_tgt *tgt, int atomic,
 	const char *initiator_name, void *tgt_priv, void *result_fn_data,
 	void (*result_fn) (struct scst_session *sess, void *data, int result))
 {
-	struct scst_session *sess = NULL;
-	char *name;
+	struct scst_session *sess;
 	int res;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	TRACE_ENTRY();
 
-	name = scst_get_unique_sess_name(&tgt->sess_list, initiator_name);
-	if (!name)
-		goto out;
-
 	sess = scst_alloc_session(tgt, atomic ? GFP_ATOMIC : GFP_KERNEL,
-				  name, initiator_name);
+		initiator_name);
 	if (sess == NULL)
 		goto out;
 
@@ -6628,8 +6634,6 @@ struct scst_session *scst_register_session(struct scst_tgt *tgt, int atomic,
 	}
 
 out:
-	if (name != initiator_name)
-		kfree(name);
 	TRACE_EXIT();
 	return sess;