diff --git a/mm/backing-dev.c b/mm/backing-dev.c
index fa5e6d7406d19e0f4e363d8ee1c5321690f3ae34..7441bd93b732000f7405f191991b102eefc26832 100644
--- a/mm/backing-dev.c
+++ b/mm/backing-dev.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ static int bdi_debug_register(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, const char *name)
 					       bdi, &bdi_debug_stats_fops);
 	if (!bdi->debug_stats) {
 		debugfs_remove(bdi->debug_dir);
+		bdi->debug_dir = NULL;
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}