diff --git a/mm/memory_hotplug.c b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
index a512a47241a4..a650db29606f 100644
--- a/mm/memory_hotplug.c
+++ b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
@@ -1107,17 +1107,18 @@ int __ref add_memory(int nid, u64 start, u64 size)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	lock_memory_hotplug();
-
 	res = register_memory_resource(start, size);
 	ret = -EEXIST;
 	if (!res)
-		goto out;
+		return ret;
 
 	{	/* Stupid hack to suppress address-never-null warning */
 		void *p = NODE_DATA(nid);
 		new_pgdat = !p;
 	}
+
+	lock_memory_hotplug();
+
 	new_node = !node_online(nid);
 	if (new_node) {
 		pgdat = hotadd_new_pgdat(nid, start);