diff --git a/fs/minix/itree_common.c b/fs/minix/itree_common.c
index 043c3fdbc8e7..446148792f41 100644
--- a/fs/minix/itree_common.c
+++ b/fs/minix/itree_common.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ static int alloc_branch(struct inode *inode,
 	int n = 0;
 	int i;
 	int parent = minix_new_block(inode);
+	int err = -ENOSPC;
 
 	branch[0].key = cpu_to_block(parent);
 	if (parent) for (n = 1; n < num; n++) {
@@ -85,6 +86,11 @@ static int alloc_branch(struct inode *inode,
 			break;
 		branch[n].key = cpu_to_block(nr);
 		bh = sb_getblk(inode->i_sb, parent);
+		if (!bh) {
+			minix_free_block(inode, nr);
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			break;
+		}
 		lock_buffer(bh);
 		memset(bh->b_data, 0, bh->b_size);
 		branch[n].bh = bh;
@@ -103,7 +109,7 @@ static int alloc_branch(struct inode *inode,
 		bforget(branch[i].bh);
 	for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
 		minix_free_block(inode, block_to_cpu(branch[i].key));
-	return -ENOSPC;
+	return err;
 }
 
 static inline int splice_branch(struct inode *inode,