diff --git a/drivers/net/wan/cosa.c b/drivers/net/wan/cosa.c
index 7193b7304fdd3ed4b69c0125732d4a024d4a4b36..848ea6a399f236b14cc5d9a79dd38038e0331aec 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wan/cosa.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wan/cosa.c
@@ -589,7 +589,8 @@ static int cosa_probe(int base, int irq, int dma)
 		chan->netdev->base_addr = chan->cosa->datareg;
 		chan->netdev->irq = chan->cosa->irq;
 		chan->netdev->dma = chan->cosa->dma;
-		if (register_hdlc_device(chan->netdev)) {
+		err = register_hdlc_device(chan->netdev);
+		if (err) {
 			netdev_warn(chan->netdev,
 				    "register_hdlc_device() failed\n");
 			free_netdev(chan->netdev);