diff --git a/drivers/thermal/thermal_hwmon.c b/drivers/thermal/thermal_hwmon.c
index 597c33c8a555..ec73d03a1e60 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/thermal_hwmon.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/thermal_hwmon.c
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ int thermal_add_hwmon_sysfs(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
 	if (new_hwmon_device)
 		hwmon_device_unregister(hwmon->device);
  free_mem:
-	kfree(hwmon);
+	if (new_hwmon_device)
+		kfree(hwmon);
 
 	return result;
 }