diff --git a/sound/core/seq/seq_memory.c b/sound/core/seq/seq_memory.c
index 801076687bb1..c850345c43b5 100644
--- a/sound/core/seq/seq_memory.c
+++ b/sound/core/seq/seq_memory.c
@@ -383,15 +383,20 @@ int snd_seq_pool_init(struct snd_seq_pool *pool)
 
 	if (snd_BUG_ON(!pool))
 		return -EINVAL;
-	if (pool->ptr)			/* should be atomic? */
-		return 0;
 
-	pool->ptr = vmalloc(sizeof(struct snd_seq_event_cell) * pool->size);
-	if (!pool->ptr)
+	cellptr = vmalloc(sizeof(struct snd_seq_event_cell) * pool->size);
+	if (!cellptr)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	/* add new cells to the free cell list */
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&pool->lock, flags);
+	if (pool->ptr) {
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&pool->lock, flags);
+		vfree(cellptr);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	pool->ptr = cellptr;
 	pool->free = NULL;
 
 	for (cell = 0; cell < pool->size; cell++) {