diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
index da4fc37a8578b6ef4590cbd0abf6e04241ebb8fc..9807f3278fcbcdfcc28c61b9b19e6a8c74d02b18 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c
@@ -2790,7 +2790,8 @@ static int __init ctnetlink_init(void)
 		goto err_unreg_subsys;
 	}
 
-	if (register_pernet_subsys(&ctnetlink_net_ops)) {
+	ret = register_pernet_subsys(&ctnetlink_net_ops);
+	if (ret < 0) {
 		pr_err("ctnetlink_init: cannot register pernet operations\n");
 		goto err_unreg_exp_subsys;
 	}