diff --git a/fs/debugfs/inode.c b/fs/debugfs/inode.c
index 41ef452c1fcfb6dfc012052553c931ad12d56aea..b16f8035b1af73aa21f11f784c21f53e66270554 100644
--- a/fs/debugfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/debugfs/inode.c
@@ -254,8 +254,8 @@ MODULE_ALIAS_FS("debugfs");
  * @parent: a pointer to the parent dentry of the file.
  *
  * This function will return a pointer to a dentry if it succeeds.  If the file
- * doesn't exist or an error occurs, %NULL will be returned.  The returned
- * dentry must be passed to dput() when it is no longer needed.
+ * doesn't exist or an error occurs, %ERR_PTR(-ERROR) will be returned.  The
+ * returned dentry must be passed to dput() when it is no longer needed.
  *
  * If debugfs is not enabled in the kernel, the value -%ENODEV will be
  * returned.
@@ -265,17 +265,17 @@ struct dentry *debugfs_lookup(const char *name, struct dentry *parent)
 	struct dentry *dentry;
 
 	if (IS_ERR(parent))
-		return NULL;
+		return parent;
 
 	if (!parent)
 		parent = debugfs_mount->mnt_root;
 
 	dentry = lookup_one_len_unlocked(name, parent, strlen(name));
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
-		return NULL;
+		return dentry;
 	if (!d_really_is_positive(dentry)) {
 		dput(dentry);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 	}
 	return dentry;
 }
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static struct dentry *failed_creating(struct dentry *dentry)
 	inode_unlock(d_inode(dentry->d_parent));
 	dput(dentry);
 	simple_release_fs(&debugfs_mount, &debugfs_mount_count);
-	return NULL;
+	return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 }
 
 static struct dentry *end_creating(struct dentry *dentry)
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ static struct dentry *__debugfs_create_file(const char *name, umode_t mode,
 	dentry = start_creating(name, parent);
 
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
-		return NULL;
+		return dentry;
 
 	inode = debugfs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
 	if (unlikely(!inode))
@@ -386,7 +386,8 @@ static struct dentry *__debugfs_create_file(const char *name, umode_t mode,
  * This function will return a pointer to a dentry if it succeeds.  This
  * pointer must be passed to the debugfs_remove() function when the file is
  * to be removed (no automatic cleanup happens if your module is unloaded,
- * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %NULL will be returned.
+ * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %ERR_PTR(-ERROR) will be
+ * returned.
  *
  * If debugfs is not enabled in the kernel, the value -%ENODEV will be
  * returned.
@@ -464,7 +465,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(debugfs_create_file_unsafe);
  * This function will return a pointer to a dentry if it succeeds.  This
  * pointer must be passed to the debugfs_remove() function when the file is
  * to be removed (no automatic cleanup happens if your module is unloaded,
- * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %NULL will be returned.
+ * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %ERR_PTR(-ERROR) will be
+ * returned.
  *
  * If debugfs is not enabled in the kernel, the value -%ENODEV will be
  * returned.
@@ -495,7 +497,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(debugfs_create_file_size);
  * This function will return a pointer to a dentry if it succeeds.  This
  * pointer must be passed to the debugfs_remove() function when the file is
  * to be removed (no automatic cleanup happens if your module is unloaded,
- * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %NULL will be returned.
+ * you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %ERR_PTR(-ERROR) will be
+ * returned.
  *
  * If debugfs is not enabled in the kernel, the value -%ENODEV will be
  * returned.
@@ -506,7 +509,7 @@ struct dentry *debugfs_create_dir(const char *name, struct dentry *parent)
 	struct inode *inode;
 
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
-		return NULL;
+		return dentry;
 
 	inode = debugfs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
 	if (unlikely(!inode))
@@ -545,7 +548,7 @@ struct dentry *debugfs_create_automount(const char *name,
 	struct inode *inode;
 
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
-		return NULL;
+		return dentry;
 
 	inode = debugfs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
 	if (unlikely(!inode))
@@ -581,8 +584,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(debugfs_create_automount);
  * This function will return a pointer to a dentry if it succeeds.  This
  * pointer must be passed to the debugfs_remove() function when the symbolic
  * link is to be removed (no automatic cleanup happens if your module is
- * unloaded, you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %NULL will be
- * returned.
+ * unloaded, you are responsible here.)  If an error occurs, %ERR_PTR(-ERROR)
+ * will be returned.
  *
  * If debugfs is not enabled in the kernel, the value -%ENODEV will be
  * returned.
@@ -594,12 +597,12 @@ struct dentry *debugfs_create_symlink(const char *name, struct dentry *parent,
 	struct inode *inode;
 	char *link = kstrdup(target, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!link)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	dentry = start_creating(name, parent);
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry)) {
 		kfree(link);
-		return NULL;
+		return dentry;
 	}
 
 	inode = debugfs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
@@ -827,7 +830,9 @@ struct dentry *debugfs_rename(struct dentry *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 	if (dentry && !IS_ERR(dentry))
 		dput(dentry);
 	unlock_rename(new_dir, old_dir);
-	return NULL;
+	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
+		return dentry;
+	return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(debugfs_rename);