diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
index 007481557191fe..9b8346638f6971 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
@@ -149,8 +149,10 @@ int bond_sysfs_slave_add(struct slave *slave)
 
 	err = kobject_init_and_add(&slave->kobj, &slave_ktype,
 				   &(slave->dev->dev.kobj), "bonding_slave");
-	if (err)
+	if (err) {
+		kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
 		return err;
+	}
 
 	for (a = slave_attrs; *a; ++a) {
 		err = sysfs_create_file(&slave->kobj, &((*a)->attr));