diff --git a/drivers/base/core.c b/drivers/base/core.c
index 83afc8b8f27b..282025770429 100644
--- a/drivers/base/core.c
+++ b/drivers/base/core.c
@@ -909,8 +909,10 @@ int device_add(struct device *dev)
 		dev->init_name = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (!dev_name(dev))
+	if (!dev_name(dev)) {
+		error = -EINVAL;
 		goto name_error;
+	}
 
 	pr_debug("device: '%s': %s\n", dev_name(dev), __func__);