diff --git a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-checker.c b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-checker.c
index 50ed53bf4aa2..6d7c8329250f 100644
--- a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-checker.c
+++ b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-checker.c
@@ -343,25 +343,25 @@ struct dm_space_map *dm_sm_checker_create(struct dm_space_map *sm)
 	int r;
 	struct sm_checker *smc;
 
-	if (!sm)
-		return NULL;
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sm))
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	smc = kmalloc(sizeof(*smc), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!smc)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	memcpy(&smc->sm, &ops_, sizeof(smc->sm));
 	r = ca_create(&smc->old_counts, sm);
 	if (r) {
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	r = ca_create(&smc->counts, sm);
 	if (r) {
 		ca_destroy(&smc->old_counts);
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	smc->real_sm = sm;
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ struct dm_space_map *dm_sm_checker_create(struct dm_space_map *sm)
 		ca_destroy(&smc->counts);
 		ca_destroy(&smc->old_counts);
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	r = ca_commit(&smc->old_counts, &smc->counts);
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ struct dm_space_map *dm_sm_checker_create(struct dm_space_map *sm)
 		ca_destroy(&smc->counts);
 		ca_destroy(&smc->old_counts);
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	return &smc->sm;
@@ -391,25 +391,25 @@ struct dm_space_map *dm_sm_checker_create_fresh(struct dm_space_map *sm)
 	int r;
 	struct sm_checker *smc;
 
-	if (!sm)
-		return NULL;
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sm))
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	smc = kmalloc(sizeof(*smc), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!smc)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	memcpy(&smc->sm, &ops_, sizeof(smc->sm));
 	r = ca_create(&smc->old_counts, sm);
 	if (r) {
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	r = ca_create(&smc->counts, sm);
 	if (r) {
 		ca_destroy(&smc->old_counts);
 		kfree(smc);
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(r);
 	}
 
 	smc->real_sm = sm;
diff --git a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-disk.c b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-disk.c
index fc469ba9f627..3d0ed5332883 100644
--- a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-disk.c
+++ b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-space-map-disk.c
@@ -290,7 +290,16 @@ struct dm_space_map *dm_sm_disk_create(struct dm_transaction_manager *tm,
 				       dm_block_t nr_blocks)
 {
 	struct dm_space_map *sm = dm_sm_disk_create_real(tm, nr_blocks);
-	return dm_sm_checker_create_fresh(sm);
+	struct dm_space_map *smc;
+
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sm))
+		return sm;
+
+	smc = dm_sm_checker_create_fresh(sm);
+	if (IS_ERR(smc))
+		dm_sm_destroy(sm);
+
+	return smc;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dm_sm_disk_create);
 
diff --git a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-transaction-manager.c b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-transaction-manager.c
index 02bf78e9d10d..e5604b32d91f 100644
--- a/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-transaction-manager.c
+++ b/drivers/md/persistent-data/dm-transaction-manager.c
@@ -347,8 +347,10 @@ static int dm_tm_create_internal(struct dm_block_manager *bm,
 		}
 
 		*sm = dm_sm_checker_create(inner);
-		if (!*sm)
+		if (IS_ERR(*sm)) {
+			r = PTR_ERR(*sm);
 			goto bad2;
+		}
 
 	} else {
 		r = dm_bm_write_lock(dm_tm_get_bm(*tm), sb_location,
@@ -367,8 +369,10 @@ static int dm_tm_create_internal(struct dm_block_manager *bm,
 		}
 
 		*sm = dm_sm_checker_create(inner);
-		if (!*sm)
+		if (IS_ERR(*sm)) {
+			r = PTR_ERR(*sm);
 			goto bad2;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return 0;