diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
index 54b36c9835be3ae2127cb1f447321eba73b824ac..38b5025e4c7a877f9e5c0bcfa6995262b6330e32 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
@@ -421,6 +421,10 @@ static int target_fabric_tf_ops_check(const struct target_core_fabric_ops *tfo)
 		pr_err("Missing tfo->aborted_task()\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
+	if (!tfo->check_stop_free) {
+		pr_err("Missing tfo->check_stop_free()\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	/*
 	 * We at least require tfo->fabric_make_wwn(), tfo->fabric_drop_wwn()
 	 * tfo->fabric_make_tpg() and tfo->fabric_drop_tpg() in
diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
index 434d9d693989179f72abca120e01155d664d0c87..b1a3cdb29468cf84e7eb48d6c8c41934c0b5b4cb 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
@@ -636,8 +636,7 @@ static int transport_cmd_check_stop_to_fabric(struct se_cmd *cmd)
 	 * Fabric modules are expected to return '1' here if the se_cmd being
 	 * passed is released at this point, or zero if not being released.
 	 */
-	return cmd->se_tfo->check_stop_free ? cmd->se_tfo->check_stop_free(cmd)
-		: 0;
+	return cmd->se_tfo->check_stop_free(cmd);
 }
 
 static void transport_lun_remove_cmd(struct se_cmd *cmd)