diff --git a/mm/memory_hotplug.c b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
index a042a9d537bb..92f95952692b 100644
--- a/mm/memory_hotplug.c
+++ b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ static struct resource *register_memory_resource(u64 start, u64 size)
 {
 	struct resource *res;
 	res = kzalloc(sizeof(struct resource), GFP_KERNEL);
-	BUG_ON(!res);
+	if (!res)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	res->name = "System RAM";
 	res->start = start;
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ static struct resource *register_memory_resource(u64 start, u64 size)
 	if (request_resource(&iomem_resource, res) < 0) {
 		pr_debug("System RAM resource %pR cannot be added\n", res);
 		kfree(res);
-		res = NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-EEXIST);
 	}
 	return res;
 }
@@ -1312,8 +1313,8 @@ int __ref add_memory(int nid, u64 start, u64 size)
 	int ret;
 
 	res = register_memory_resource(start, size);
-	if (!res)
-		return -EEXIST;
+	if (IS_ERR(res))
+		return PTR_ERR(res);
 
 	ret = add_memory_resource(nid, res);
 	if (ret < 0)