diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_io.c b/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
index 52627478ab61..562d31073f9a 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
@@ -2815,7 +2815,10 @@ struct tty_struct *alloc_tty_struct(struct tty_driver *driver, int idx)
 
 	kref_init(&tty->kref);
 	tty->magic = TTY_MAGIC;
-	tty_ldisc_init(tty);
+	if (tty_ldisc_init(tty)) {
+		kfree(tty);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	tty->session = NULL;
 	tty->pgrp = NULL;
 	mutex_init(&tty->legacy_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c b/drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c
index 7c895684c3ef..77eac4ab1737 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c
@@ -823,12 +823,13 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(tty_ldisc_release);
  *	the tty structure is not completely set up when this call is made.
  */
 
-void tty_ldisc_init(struct tty_struct *tty)
+int tty_ldisc_init(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
 	struct tty_ldisc *ld = tty_ldisc_get(tty, N_TTY);
 	if (IS_ERR(ld))
-		panic("n_tty: init_tty");
+		return PTR_ERR(ld);
 	tty->ldisc = ld;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/linux/tty.h b/include/linux/tty.h
index 47f8af22f216..1dd587ba6d88 100644
--- a/include/linux/tty.h
+++ b/include/linux/tty.h
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ extern int tty_unregister_ldisc(int disc);
 extern int tty_set_ldisc(struct tty_struct *tty, int disc);
 extern int tty_ldisc_setup(struct tty_struct *tty, struct tty_struct *o_tty);
 extern void tty_ldisc_release(struct tty_struct *tty);
-extern void tty_ldisc_init(struct tty_struct *tty);
+extern int __must_check tty_ldisc_init(struct tty_struct *tty);
 extern void tty_ldisc_deinit(struct tty_struct *tty);
 extern int tty_ldisc_receive_buf(struct tty_ldisc *ld, const unsigned char *p,
 				 char *f, int count);