diff --git a/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c b/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
index 2af678e71e3c..bc97a3eecad6 100644
--- a/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
+++ b/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ void rds_ib_sysctl_exit(void)
 int rds_ib_sysctl_init(void)
 {
 	rds_ib_sysctl_hdr = register_net_sysctl(&init_net, "net/rds/ib", rds_ib_sysctl_table);
-	if (!rds_ib_sysctl_hdr)
+	if (!rds_ib_sysctl_hdr && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/rds/sysctl.c b/net/rds/sysctl.c
index 025f518a4349..968d6279bbd3 100644
--- a/net/rds/sysctl.c
+++ b/net/rds/sysctl.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ int rds_sysctl_init(void)
 
 	rds_sysctl_reg_table =
 		register_net_sysctl(&init_net, "net/rds", rds_sysctl_rds_table);
-	if (!rds_sysctl_reg_table)
+	if (!rds_sysctl_reg_table && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/rds/tcp.c b/net/rds/tcp.c
index 774a71f88d37..34815b4f658b 100644
--- a/net/rds/tcp.c
+++ b/net/rds/tcp.c
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ static __net_init int rds_tcp_init_net(struct net *net)
 	tbl[RDS_TCP_RCVBUF].data = &rtn->rcvbuf_size;
 	rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl = register_net_sysctl_sz(net, "net/rds/tcp", tbl,
 						     ARRAY_SIZE(rds_tcp_sysctl_table));
-	if (!rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl) {
+	if (!rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL)) {
 		pr_warn("could not register sysctl\n");
 		err = -ENOMEM;
 		goto fail;