diff --git a/drivers/net/netconsole.c b/drivers/net/netconsole.c
index 66e74f740261..bf58db29e2ed 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netconsole.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netconsole.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static int init_netconsole(void)
 
 	if(!configured) {
 		printk("netconsole: not configured, aborting\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if(netpoll_setup(&np))
diff --git a/drivers/net/pppoe.c b/drivers/net/pppoe.c
index 475dc930380f..0d101a18026a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/pppoe.c
+++ b/drivers/net/pppoe.c
@@ -861,6 +861,9 @@ static int __pppoe_xmit(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		 * give dev_queue_xmit something it can free.
 		 */
 		skb2 = skb_clone(skb, GFP_ATOMIC);
+
+		if (skb2 == NULL)
+			goto abort;
 	}
 
 	ph = (struct pppoe_hdr *) skb_push(skb2, sizeof(struct pppoe_hdr));
diff --git a/net/bridge/br_if.c b/net/bridge/br_if.c
index ad1c7af65ec8..f5d47bf4f967 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_if.c
+++ b/net/bridge/br_if.c
@@ -300,25 +300,20 @@ int br_add_bridge(const char *name)
 	rtnl_lock();
 	if (strchr(dev->name, '%')) {
 		ret = dev_alloc_name(dev, dev->name);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto err1;
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			free_netdev(dev);
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ret = register_netdevice(dev);
 	if (ret)
-		goto err2;
+		goto out;
 
 	ret = br_sysfs_addbr(dev);
 	if (ret)
-		goto err3;
-	rtnl_unlock();
-	return 0;
-
- err3:
-	unregister_netdev(dev);
- err2:
-	free_netdev(dev);
- err1:
+		unregister_netdevice(dev);
+ out:
 	rtnl_unlock();
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/net/ethernet/Makefile b/net/ethernet/Makefile
index 69b74a9a0fc3..7cef1d8ace27 100644
--- a/net/ethernet/Makefile
+++ b/net/ethernet/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,5 @@
 #
 
 obj-y					+= eth.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_SYSCTL)			+= sysctl_net_ether.o
 obj-$(subst m,y,$(CONFIG_IPX))		+= pe2.o
 obj-$(subst m,y,$(CONFIG_ATALK))	+= pe2.o
diff --git a/net/ethernet/sysctl_net_ether.c b/net/ethernet/sysctl_net_ether.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 66b39fc342d2..000000000000
--- a/net/ethernet/sysctl_net_ether.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-/* -*- linux-c -*-
- * sysctl_net_ether.c: sysctl interface to net Ethernet subsystem.
- *
- * Begun April 1, 1996, Mike Shaver.
- * Added /proc/sys/net/ether directory entry (empty =) ). [MS]
- */
-
-#include <linux/mm.h>
-#include <linux/sysctl.h>
-#include <linux/if_ether.h>
-
-ctl_table ether_table[] = {
-	{0}
-};
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
index 743016baa048..f33c9dddaa12 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ int tcp_fragment(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb, u32 len, unsigned int mss
  * eventually). The difference is that pulled data not copied, but
  * immediately discarded.
  */
-static unsigned char *__pskb_trim_head(struct sk_buff *skb, int len)
+static void __pskb_trim_head(struct sk_buff *skb, int len)
 {
 	int i, k, eat;
 
@@ -667,7 +667,6 @@ static unsigned char *__pskb_trim_head(struct sk_buff *skb, int len)
 	skb->tail = skb->data;
 	skb->data_len -= len;
 	skb->len = skb->data_len;
-	return skb->tail;
 }
 
 int tcp_trim_head(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb, u32 len)
@@ -676,12 +675,11 @@ int tcp_trim_head(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb, u32 len)
 	    pskb_expand_head(skb, 0, 0, GFP_ATOMIC))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (len <= skb_headlen(skb)) {
+	/* If len == headlen, we avoid __skb_pull to preserve alignment. */
+	if (unlikely(len < skb_headlen(skb)))
 		__skb_pull(skb, len);
-	} else {
-		if (__pskb_trim_head(skb, len-skb_headlen(skb)) == NULL)
-			return -ENOMEM;
-	}
+	else
+		__pskb_trim_head(skb, len - skb_headlen(skb));
 
 	TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->seq += len;
 	skb->ip_summed = CHECKSUM_HW;
diff --git a/net/irda/irlap.c b/net/irda/irlap.c
index 7029618f5719..a16528657b4c 100644
--- a/net/irda/irlap.c
+++ b/net/irda/irlap.c
@@ -884,7 +884,8 @@ static void irlap_change_speed(struct irlap_cb *self, __u32 speed, int now)
 	if (now) {
 		/* Send down empty frame to trigger speed change */
 		skb = dev_alloc_skb(0);
-		irlap_queue_xmit(self, skb);
+		if (skb)
+			irlap_queue_xmit(self, skb);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/net/sysctl_net.c b/net/sysctl_net.c
index 55538f6b60ff..58a1b6b42ddd 100644
--- a/net/sysctl_net.c
+++ b/net/sysctl_net.c
@@ -37,14 +37,6 @@ struct ctl_table net_table[] = {
 		.mode		= 0555,
 		.child		= core_table,
 	},
-#ifdef CONFIG_NET
-	{
-		.ctl_name	= NET_ETHER,
-		.procname	= "ethernet",
-		.mode		= 0555,
-		.child		= ether_table,
-	},
-#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_INET
 	{
 		.ctl_name	= NET_IPV4,