diff --git a/sound/core/seq/seq_clientmgr.c b/sound/core/seq/seq_clientmgr.c
index 272c55fe17c88aec700a7552da4473349c4ce359..ea2d0ae85bd367d5ea70068ee74d925a349789c3 100644
--- a/sound/core/seq/seq_clientmgr.c
+++ b/sound/core/seq/seq_clientmgr.c
@@ -1502,16 +1502,11 @@ static int snd_seq_ioctl_unsubscribe_port(struct snd_seq_client *client,
 static int snd_seq_ioctl_create_queue(struct snd_seq_client *client, void *arg)
 {
 	struct snd_seq_queue_info *info = arg;
-	int result;
 	struct snd_seq_queue *q;
 
-	result = snd_seq_queue_alloc(client->number, info->locked, info->flags);
-	if (result < 0)
-		return result;
-
-	q = queueptr(result);
-	if (q == NULL)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	q = snd_seq_queue_alloc(client->number, info->locked, info->flags);
+	if (IS_ERR(q))
+		return PTR_ERR(q);
 
 	info->queue = q->queue;
 	info->locked = q->locked;
@@ -1521,7 +1516,7 @@ static int snd_seq_ioctl_create_queue(struct snd_seq_client *client, void *arg)
 	if (!info->name[0])
 		snprintf(info->name, sizeof(info->name), "Queue-%d", q->queue);
 	strlcpy(q->name, info->name, sizeof(q->name));
-	queuefree(q);
+	snd_use_lock_free(&q->use_lock);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.c b/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.c
index 450c5187eecb6bb083736d2d2a1aad43b98c7c3f..79e0c5604ef806d62eca084293e66222b8fe6828 100644
--- a/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.c
+++ b/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.c
@@ -184,22 +184,26 @@ void __exit snd_seq_queues_delete(void)
 static void queue_use(struct snd_seq_queue *queue, int client, int use);
 
 /* allocate a new queue -
- * return queue index value or negative value for error
+ * return pointer to new queue or ERR_PTR(-errno) for error
+ * The new queue's use_lock is set to 1. It is the caller's responsibility to
+ * call snd_use_lock_free(&q->use_lock).
  */
-int snd_seq_queue_alloc(int client, int locked, unsigned int info_flags)
+struct snd_seq_queue *snd_seq_queue_alloc(int client, int locked, unsigned int info_flags)
 {
 	struct snd_seq_queue *q;
 
 	q = queue_new(client, locked);
 	if (q == NULL)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	q->info_flags = info_flags;
 	queue_use(q, client, 1);
+	snd_use_lock_use(&q->use_lock);
 	if (queue_list_add(q) < 0) {
+		snd_use_lock_free(&q->use_lock);
 		queue_delete(q);
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	}
-	return q->queue;
+	return q;
 }
 
 /* delete a queue - queue must be owned by the client */
diff --git a/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.h b/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.h
index 30c8111477f61ed26987dc03abbe9670b36db221..719093489a2c4eec57fed70d4ba2b862cb64a9cf 100644
--- a/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.h
+++ b/sound/core/seq/seq_queue.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void snd_seq_queues_delete(void);
 
 
 /* create new queue (constructor) */
-int snd_seq_queue_alloc(int client, int locked, unsigned int flags);
+struct snd_seq_queue *snd_seq_queue_alloc(int client, int locked, unsigned int flags);
 
 /* delete queue (destructor) */
 int snd_seq_queue_delete(int client, int queueid);