diff --git a/drivers/regulator/core.c b/drivers/regulator/core.c
index 04baac9a165b..b0ee068310c5 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/core.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/core.c
@@ -1584,7 +1584,7 @@ static struct regulator *_regulator_get(struct device *dev, const char *id,
 					bool exclusive, bool allow_dummy)
 {
 	struct regulator_dev *rdev;
-	struct regulator *regulator = ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER);
+	struct regulator *regulator;
 	const char *devname = NULL;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1596,11 +1596,6 @@ static struct regulator *_regulator_get(struct device *dev, const char *id,
 	if (dev)
 		devname = dev_name(dev);
 
-	if (have_full_constraints())
-		ret = -ENODEV;
-	else
-		ret = -EPROBE_DEFER;
-
 	rdev = regulator_dev_lookup(dev, id, &ret);
 	if (rdev)
 		goto found;
@@ -1656,6 +1651,7 @@ static struct regulator *_regulator_get(struct device *dev, const char *id,
 	}
 
 	if (!try_module_get(rdev->owner)) {
+		regulator = ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER);
 		put_device(&rdev->dev);
 		return regulator;
 	}