diff --git a/sound/isa/gus/gus_mem.c b/sound/isa/gus/gus_mem.c
index ff9480f249fe..4c691dbf2721 100644
--- a/sound/isa/gus/gus_mem.c
+++ b/sound/isa/gus/gus_mem.c
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ struct snd_gf1_mem_block *snd_gf1_mem_alloc(struct snd_gf1_mem * alloc, int owne
 		memcpy(&block.share_id, share_id, sizeof(block.share_id));
 	block.owner = owner;
 	block.name = kstrdup(name, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (block.name == NULL) {
+		snd_gf1_mem_lock(alloc, 1);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	nblock = snd_gf1_mem_xalloc(alloc, &block);
 	snd_gf1_mem_lock(alloc, 1);
 	return nblock;
@@ -237,13 +241,13 @@ int snd_gf1_mem_init(struct snd_gus_card * gus)
 		block.ptr = 0;
 		block.size = 1024;
 		block.name = kstrdup("InterWave LFOs", GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (snd_gf1_mem_xalloc(alloc, &block) == NULL)
+		if (block.name == NULL || snd_gf1_mem_xalloc(alloc, &block) == NULL)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 	block.ptr = gus->gf1.default_voice_address;
 	block.size = 4;
 	block.name = kstrdup("Voice default (NULL's)", GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (snd_gf1_mem_xalloc(alloc, &block) == NULL)
+	if (block.name == NULL || snd_gf1_mem_xalloc(alloc, &block) == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SND_DEBUG
 	snd_card_ro_proc_new(gus->card, "gusmem", gus, snd_gf1_mem_info_read);