diff --git a/arch/riscv/kernel/setup.c b/arch/riscv/kernel/setup.c
index fc8006a042eb..6e079e94b638 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/riscv/kernel/setup.c
@@ -149,7 +149,14 @@ asmlinkage void __init setup_vm(void)
 
 void __init parse_dtb(unsigned int hartid, void *dtb)
 {
-	early_init_dt_scan(__va(dtb));
+	if (!early_init_dt_scan(__va(dtb)))
+		return;
+
+	pr_err("No DTB passed to the kernel\n");
+#ifdef CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE
+	strlcpy(boot_command_line, CONFIG_CMDLINE, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
+	pr_info("Forcing kernel command line to: %s\n", boot_command_line);
+#endif
 }
 
 static void __init setup_bootmem(void)