diff --git a/drivers/staging/vme/devices/vme_user.c b/drivers/staging/vme/devices/vme_user.c
index d074b1ecb41a..da7f75984979 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vme/devices/vme_user.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/vme/devices/vme_user.c
@@ -710,6 +710,10 @@ static int vme_user_probe(struct vme_dev *vdev)
 
 	/* Register the driver as a char device */
 	vme_user_cdev = cdev_alloc();
+	if (!vme_user_cdev) {
+		err = -ENOMEM;
+		goto err_char;
+	}
 	vme_user_cdev->ops = &vme_user_fops;
 	vme_user_cdev->owner = THIS_MODULE;
 	err = cdev_add(vme_user_cdev, MKDEV(VME_MAJOR, 0), VME_DEVS);