diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 98ed27bbd045b..d27d5a880015b 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -6983,10 +6983,11 @@ int bpf_check(struct bpf_prog **prog, union bpf_attr *attr,
 	free_states(env);
 
 	if (ret == 0)
-		sanitize_dead_code(env);
+		ret = check_max_stack_depth(env);
 
+	/* instruction rewrites happen after this point */
 	if (ret == 0)
-		ret = check_max_stack_depth(env);
+		sanitize_dead_code(env);
 
 	if (ret == 0)
 		/* program is valid, convert *(u32*)(ctx + off) accesses */