diff --git a/drivers/dma/dmatest.c b/drivers/dma/dmatest.c
index 62d9825a49e9..238936e2dfe2 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dmatest.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dmatest.c
@@ -1218,15 +1218,14 @@ static int dmatest_chan_set(const char *val, const struct kernel_param *kp)
 	add_threaded_test(info);
 
 	/* Check if channel was added successfully */
-	dtc = list_last_entry(&info->channels, struct dmatest_chan, node);
-
-	if (dtc->chan) {
+	if (!list_empty(&info->channels)) {
 		/*
 		 * if new channel was not successfully added, revert the
 		 * "test_channel" string to the name of the last successfully
 		 * added channel. exception for when users issues empty string
 		 * to channel parameter.
 		 */
+		dtc = list_last_entry(&info->channels, struct dmatest_chan, node);
 		if ((strcmp(dma_chan_name(dtc->chan), strim(test_channel)) != 0)
 		    && (strcmp("", strim(test_channel)) != 0)) {
 			ret = -EINVAL;