diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/cxgb4_tc_flower.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/cxgb4_tc_flower.c
index 312599c6b35a96a70ba301d5c17fa30174146f8e..e447976bdd3e06c3cc74f2538c3db1305bf4c503 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/cxgb4_tc_flower.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/cxgb4_tc_flower.c
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ static struct ch_tc_pedit_fields pedits[] = {
 static struct ch_tc_flower_entry *allocate_flower_entry(void)
 {
 	struct ch_tc_flower_entry *new = kzalloc(sizeof(*new), GFP_KERNEL);
-	spin_lock_init(&new->lock);
+	if (new)
+		spin_lock_init(&new->lock);
 	return new;
 }