diff --git a/mm/mempolicy.c b/mm/mempolicy.c
index 70298b635b59..a4a1cab16c0f 100644
--- a/mm/mempolicy.c
+++ b/mm/mempolicy.c
@@ -666,7 +666,9 @@ static int queue_pages_test_walk(unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
  * 1 - there is unmovable page, but MPOL_MF_MOVE* & MPOL_MF_STRICT were
  *     specified.
  * 0 - queue pages successfully or no misplaced page.
- * -EIO - there is misplaced page and only MPOL_MF_STRICT was specified.
+ * errno - i.e. misplaced pages with MPOL_MF_STRICT specified (-EIO) or
+ *         memory range specified by nodemask and maxnode points outside
+ *         your accessible address space (-EFAULT)
  */
 static int
 queue_pages_range(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
@@ -1273,7 +1275,7 @@ static long do_mbind(unsigned long start, unsigned long len,
 			  flags | MPOL_MF_INVERT, &pagelist);
 
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		err = -EIO;
+		err = ret;
 		goto up_out;
 	}
 
@@ -1292,10 +1294,12 @@ static long do_mbind(unsigned long start, unsigned long len,
 
 		if ((ret > 0) || (nr_failed && (flags & MPOL_MF_STRICT)))
 			err = -EIO;
-	} else
-		putback_movable_pages(&pagelist);
-
+	} else {
 up_out:
+		if (!list_empty(&pagelist))
+			putback_movable_pages(&pagelist);
+	}
+
 	up_write(&mm->mmap_sem);
 mpol_out:
 	mpol_put(new);