diff --git a/drivers/base/property.c b/drivers/base/property.c
index ff03f2348f77efd8cea40d071a15735d42de400f..2d75366c61e03c7188e2839ec1e8d727d3365966 100644
--- a/drivers/base/property.c
+++ b/drivers/base/property.c
@@ -611,13 +611,15 @@ static void *device_get_mac_addr(struct device *dev,
 */
 void *device_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, char *addr, int alen)
 {
-	addr = device_get_mac_addr(dev, "mac-address", addr, alen);
-	if (addr)
-		return addr;
+	char *res;
 
-	addr = device_get_mac_addr(dev, "local-mac-address", addr, alen);
-	if (addr)
-		return addr;
+	res = device_get_mac_addr(dev, "mac-address", addr, alen);
+	if (res)
+		return res;
+
+	res = device_get_mac_addr(dev, "local-mac-address", addr, alen);
+	if (res)
+		return res;
 
 	return device_get_mac_addr(dev, "address", addr, alen);
 }