diff --git a/drivers/base/sys.c b/drivers/base/sys.c
index 4fbb56bcb1eefbd60b5a189963e1e742ef794865..358bb0be3c0838b9233bae7b1eab1cc2b05ef1e6 100644
--- a/drivers/base/sys.c
+++ b/drivers/base/sys.c
@@ -175,8 +175,7 @@ int sysdev_driver_register(struct sysdev_class *cls, struct sysdev_driver *drv)
 	}
 
 	/* Check whether this driver has already been added to a class. */
-	if ((drv->entry.next != drv->entry.prev) ||
-	    (drv->entry.next != NULL)) {
+	if (drv->entry.next && !list_empty(&drv->entry)) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "sysdev: class %s: driver (%p) has already"
 			" been registered to a class, something is wrong, but "
 			"will forge on!\n", cls->name, drv);