diff --git a/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c b/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
index 2ffbf13471d09ad4c27d8c70fbb4dd3145befa75..216bfd350169a9da723035876d152e89b17c8432 100644
--- a/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
+++ b/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
@@ -728,11 +728,12 @@ static int mkiss_open(struct tty_struct *tty)
 	dev->type = ARPHRD_AX25;
 
 	/* Perform the low-level AX25 initialization. */
-	if ((err = ax_open(ax->dev))) {
+	err = ax_open(ax->dev);
+	if (err)
 		goto out_free_netdev;
-	}
 
-	if (register_netdev(dev))
+	err = register_netdev(dev);
+	if (err)
 		goto out_free_buffers;
 
 	/* after register_netdev() - because else printk smashes the kernel */