diff --git a/net/wireless/reg.c b/net/wireless/reg.c
index 6373a78a37e7..47d505616a4b 100644
--- a/net/wireless/reg.c
+++ b/net/wireless/reg.c
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ void reg_device_remove(struct wiphy *wiphy)
 
 int regulatory_init(void)
 {
-	int err;
+	int err = 0;
 
 	reg_pdev = platform_device_register_simple("regulatory", 0, NULL, 0);
 	if (IS_ERR(reg_pdev))
@@ -1637,12 +1637,24 @@ int regulatory_init(void)
 	cfg80211_regdomain = cfg80211_world_regdom;
 
 	err = regulatory_hint_core("00");
-	if (err) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "cfg80211: calling CRDA failed - "
-		       "unable to update world regulatory domain, "
-		       "using static definition\n");
-	}
 #endif
+	if (err) {
+		if (err == -ENOMEM)
+			return err;
+		/*
+		 * N.B. kobject_uevent_env() can fail mainly for when we're out
+		 * memory which is handled and propagated appropriately above
+		 * but it can also fail during a netlink_broadcast() or during
+		 * early boot for call_usermodehelper(). For now treat these
+		 * errors as non-fatal.
+		 */
+		printk(KERN_ERR "cfg80211: kobject_uevent_env() was unable "
+			"to call CRDA during init");
+#ifdef CONFIG_CFG80211_REG_DEBUG
+		/* We want to find out exactly why when debugging */
+		WARN_ON(err);
+#endif
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }