diff --git a/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c b/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
index 0aa545ac6e60c1a62cd755ec3dd09f07bf887027..1c90421a88dcd74d4bed04c0f43bbe574226bf0a 100644
--- a/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
+++ b/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
@@ -1029,8 +1029,10 @@ snd_emu8000_create_mixer(struct snd_card *card, struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 
 	memset(emu->controls, 0, sizeof(emu->controls));
 	for (i = 0; i < EMU8000_NUM_CONTROLS; i++) {
-		if ((err = snd_ctl_add(card, emu->controls[i] = snd_ctl_new1(mixer_defs[i], emu))) < 0)
+		if ((err = snd_ctl_add(card, emu->controls[i] = snd_ctl_new1(mixer_defs[i], emu))) < 0) {
+			emu->controls[i] = NULL;
 			goto __error;
+		}
 	}
 	return 0;