diff --git a/drivers/media/media-device.c b/drivers/media/media-device.c
index ca16bd3091bd..da4126863ecc 100644
--- a/drivers/media/media-device.c
+++ b/drivers/media/media-device.c
@@ -577,6 +577,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__media_device_register);
  * media_device_unregister - unregister a media device
  * @mdev:	The media device
  *
+ * It is safe to call this function on an unregistered
+ * (but initialised) media device.
  */
 void media_device_unregister(struct media_device *mdev)
 {
@@ -584,6 +586,10 @@ void media_device_unregister(struct media_device *mdev)
 	struct media_entity *next;
 	struct media_interface *intf, *tmp_intf;
 
+	/* Check if mdev was ever registered at all */
+	if (!media_devnode_is_registered(&mdev->devnode))
+		return;
+
 	/* Remove all entities from the media device */
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(entity, next, &mdev->entities, graph_obj.list)
 		media_device_unregister_entity(entity);