diff --git a/net/dsa/dsa2.c b/net/dsa/dsa2.c
index da38621245458bae2506b0c030d92315f1be5775..0f99297b2fb3517942bf74fee08ed3e61d65a4f0 100644
--- a/net/dsa/dsa2.c
+++ b/net/dsa/dsa2.c
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ static int dsa_user_port_apply(struct device_node *port, u32 index,
 	if (err) {
 		dev_warn(ds->dev, "Failed to create slave %d: %d\n",
 			 index, err);
+		ds->ports[index].netdev = NULL;
 		return err;
 	}