diff --git a/fs/cifs/readdir.c b/fs/cifs/readdir.c
index daf1753af674..d5e591fab475 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/readdir.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/readdir.c
@@ -847,6 +847,11 @@ int cifs_readdir(struct file *file, void *direntry, filldir_t filldir)
 		end_of_smb = cifsFile->srch_inf.ntwrk_buf_start + max_len;
 
 		tmp_buf = kmalloc(UNICODE_NAME_MAX, GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (tmp_buf == NULL) {
+			rc = -ENOMEM;
+			break;
+		}
+
 		for (i = 0; (i < num_to_fill) && (rc == 0); i++) {
 			if (current_entry == NULL) {
 				/* evaluate whether this case is an error */