diff --git a/fs/sysfs/dir.c b/fs/sysfs/dir.c
index 0050fc40e8c9..5fad489ce5bc 100644
--- a/fs/sysfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/sysfs/dir.c
@@ -894,7 +894,8 @@ int sysfs_move_dir(struct kobject *kobj, struct kobject *new_parent_kobj)
 
 	mutex_lock(&sysfs_rename_mutex);
 	BUG_ON(!sd->s_parent);
-	new_parent_sd = new_parent_kobj->sd ? new_parent_kobj->sd : &sysfs_root;
+	new_parent_sd = (new_parent_kobj && new_parent_kobj->sd) ?
+		new_parent_kobj->sd : &sysfs_root;
 
 	error = 0;
 	if (sd->s_parent == new_parent_sd)