diff --git a/drivers/char/virtio_console.c b/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
index e8480fe2e1d882561d71f1a8c386510538af7931..21085515814f23f09e6fbea4cb49d4d3d99d86c7 100644
--- a/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
+++ b/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
@@ -2090,6 +2090,7 @@ static int virtcons_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 
 	spin_lock_init(&portdev->ports_lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&portdev->ports);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&portdev->list);
 
 	virtio_device_ready(portdev->vdev);
 
@@ -2107,8 +2108,15 @@ static int virtcons_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 		if (!nr_added_bufs) {
 			dev_err(&vdev->dev,
 				"Error allocating buffers for control queue\n");
-			err = -ENOMEM;
-			goto free_vqs;
+			/*
+			 * The host might want to notify mgmt sw about device
+			 * add failure.
+			 */
+			__send_control_msg(portdev, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_BAD_ID,
+					   VIRTIO_CONSOLE_DEVICE_READY, 0);
+			/* Device was functional: we need full cleanup. */
+			virtcons_remove(vdev);
+			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
 	} else {
 		/*
@@ -2139,11 +2147,6 @@ static int virtcons_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 
 	return 0;
 
-free_vqs:
-	/* The host might want to notify mgmt sw about device add failure */
-	__send_control_msg(portdev, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_BAD_ID,
-			   VIRTIO_CONSOLE_DEVICE_READY, 0);
-	remove_vqs(portdev);
 free_chrdev:
 	unregister_chrdev(portdev->chr_major, "virtio-portsdev");
 free: