diff --git a/drivers/char/mem.c b/drivers/char/mem.c
index 1f3215ac085bca594dc014cf91e23a745a8e1058..47c8452f485fa6bcc03683754bb1432e8a082e2a 100644
--- a/drivers/char/mem.c
+++ b/drivers/char/mem.c
@@ -908,6 +908,9 @@ static int __init chr_dev_init(void)
 		printk("unable to get major %d for memory devs\n", MEM_MAJOR);
 
 	mem_class = class_create(THIS_MODULE, "mem");
+	if (IS_ERR(mem_class))
+		return PTR_ERR(mem_class);
+
 	mem_class->devnode = mem_devnode;
 	for (minor = 1; minor < ARRAY_SIZE(devlist); minor++) {
 		if (!devlist[minor].name)