diff --git a/net/core/ethtool.c b/net/core/ethtool.c
index 236a21e3c878e73fbd97d74de3694caaeab5e762..d92de0a1f0a49d51ec8329c65d46a4f2ae304ebd 100644
--- a/net/core/ethtool.c
+++ b/net/core/ethtool.c
@@ -1405,9 +1405,12 @@ static int ethtool_get_regs(struct net_device *dev, char __user *useraddr)
 	if (regs.len > reglen)
 		regs.len = reglen;
 
-	regbuf = vzalloc(reglen);
-	if (reglen && !regbuf)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+	regbuf = NULL;
+	if (reglen) {
+		regbuf = vzalloc(reglen);
+		if (!regbuf)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+	}
 
 	ops->get_regs(dev, &regs, regbuf);