diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4filelayout.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4filelayout.c
index 63a16375660abd266333da85ccd87bd140301c76..21e921147d21b7b42253deb2621e208ba59c18af 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4filelayout.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4filelayout.c
@@ -1348,7 +1348,7 @@ filelayout_alloc_layout_hdr(struct inode *inode, gfp_t gfp_flags)
 	struct nfs4_filelayout *flo;
 
 	flo = kzalloc(sizeof(*flo), gfp_flags);
-	return &flo->generic_hdr;
+	return flo != NULL ? &flo->generic_hdr : NULL;
 }
 
 static void