diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/aops.c b/fs/ocfs2/aops.c
index 90383ed61005..17964c0505a9 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/aops.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/aops.c
@@ -467,11 +467,11 @@ handle_t *ocfs2_start_walk_page_trans(struct inode *inode,
 							 unsigned to)
 {
 	struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb);
-	handle_t *handle = NULL;
+	handle_t *handle;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	handle = ocfs2_start_trans(osb, OCFS2_INODE_UPDATE_CREDITS);
-	if (!handle) {
+	if (IS_ERR(handle)) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		mlog_errno(ret);
 		goto out;
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ handle_t *ocfs2_start_walk_page_trans(struct inode *inode,
 	}
 out:
 	if (ret) {
-		if (handle)
+		if (!IS_ERR(handle))
 			ocfs2_commit_trans(osb, handle);
 		handle = ERR_PTR(ret);
 	}