diff --git a/mm/slab.c b/mm/slab.c
index 2e60bf3dedbb..a467b308c682 100644
--- a/mm/slab.c
+++ b/mm/slab.c
@@ -470,6 +470,8 @@ static struct kmem_cache kmem_cache_boot = {
 	.name = "kmem_cache",
 };
 
+#define BAD_ALIEN_MAGIC 0x01020304ul
+
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct delayed_work, slab_reap_work);
 
 static inline struct array_cache *cpu_cache_get(struct kmem_cache *cachep)
@@ -836,7 +838,7 @@ static int transfer_objects(struct array_cache *to,
 static inline struct alien_cache **alloc_alien_cache(int node,
 						int limit, gfp_t gfp)
 {
-	return NULL;
+	return (struct alien_cache **)BAD_ALIEN_MAGIC;
 }
 
 static inline void free_alien_cache(struct alien_cache **ac_ptr)