diff --git a/drivers/accessibility/speakup/selection.c b/drivers/accessibility/speakup/selection.c
index 1713ce4e0ba5..a04a7e8c307b 100644
--- a/drivers/accessibility/speakup/selection.c
+++ b/drivers/accessibility/speakup/selection.c
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ static struct speakup_selection_work speakup_sel_work = {
 
 int speakup_set_selection(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
+	if (!tty)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	/* we get kref here first in order to avoid a subtle race when
 	 * cancelling selection work. getting kref first establishes the
 	 * invariant that if speakup_sel_work.tty is not NULL when
@@ -120,6 +123,9 @@ static struct speakup_selection_work speakup_paste_work = {
 
 int speakup_paste_selection(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
+	if (!tty)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	tty_kref_get(tty);
 	if (cmpxchg(&speakup_paste_work.tty, NULL, tty)) {
 		tty_kref_put(tty);