diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
index 8c6b7c1651e5..cf62ff4c8c56 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
@@ -2778,6 +2778,9 @@ static int stmmac_hw_init(struct stmmac_priv *priv)
  * @addr: iobase memory address
  * Description: this is the main probe function used to
  * call the alloc_etherdev, allocate the priv structure.
+ * Return:
+ * on success the new private structure is returned, otherwise the error
+ * pointer.
  */
 struct stmmac_priv *stmmac_dvr_probe(struct device *device,
 				     struct plat_stmmacenet_data *plat_dat,
@@ -2789,7 +2792,7 @@ struct stmmac_priv *stmmac_dvr_probe(struct device *device,
 
 	ndev = alloc_etherdev(sizeof(struct stmmac_priv));
 	if (!ndev)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	SET_NETDEV_DEV(ndev, device);