diff --git a/net/core/failover.c b/net/core/failover.c
index 0eb2e0ec875b..11bb183c7a1b 100644
--- a/net/core/failover.c
+++ b/net/core/failover.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int failover_slave_register(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	if (!failover_dev)
 		goto done;
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_pre_register &&
+	if (fops->slave_pre_register &&
 	    fops->slave_pre_register(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		goto done;
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static int failover_slave_register(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 
 	slave_dev->priv_flags |= (IFF_FAILOVER_SLAVE | IFF_NO_ADDRCONF);
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_register &&
+	if (fops->slave_register &&
 	    !fops->slave_register(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		return NOTIFY_OK;
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ int failover_slave_unregister(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	if (!failover_dev)
 		goto done;
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_pre_unregister &&
+	if (fops->slave_pre_unregister &&
 	    fops->slave_pre_unregister(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		goto done;
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ int failover_slave_unregister(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	netdev_upper_dev_unlink(slave_dev, failover_dev);
 	slave_dev->priv_flags &= ~(IFF_FAILOVER_SLAVE | IFF_NO_ADDRCONF);
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_unregister &&
+	if (fops->slave_unregister &&
 	    !fops->slave_unregister(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		return NOTIFY_OK;
 
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static int failover_slave_link_change(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	if (!netif_running(failover_dev))
 		goto done;
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_link_change &&
+	if (fops->slave_link_change &&
 	    !fops->slave_link_change(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		return NOTIFY_OK;
 
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ static int failover_slave_name_change(struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	if (!netif_running(failover_dev))
 		goto done;
 
-	if (fops && fops->slave_name_change &&
+	if (fops->slave_name_change &&
 	    !fops->slave_name_change(slave_dev, failover_dev))
 		return NOTIFY_OK;
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ struct failover *failover_register(struct net_device *dev,
 {
 	struct failover *failover;
 
-	if (dev->type != ARPHRD_ETHER)
+	if (dev->type != ARPHRD_ETHER || !ops)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	failover = kzalloc_obj(*failover);