diff --git a/kernel/irq/irqdesc.c b/kernel/irq/irqdesc.c
index 9484e88dabc2..9be995fc3c5a 100644
--- a/kernel/irq/irqdesc.c
+++ b/kernel/irq/irqdesc.c
@@ -295,6 +295,18 @@ static void irq_sysfs_add(int irq, struct irq_desc *desc)
 	}
 }
 
+static void irq_sysfs_del(struct irq_desc *desc)
+{
+	/*
+	 * If irq_sysfs_init() has not yet been invoked (early boot), then
+	 * irq_kobj_base is NULL and the descriptor was never added.
+	 * kobject_del() complains about a object with no parent, so make
+	 * it conditional.
+	 */
+	if (irq_kobj_base)
+		kobject_del(&desc->kobj);
+}
+
 static int __init irq_sysfs_init(void)
 {
 	struct irq_desc *desc;
@@ -325,6 +337,7 @@ static struct kobj_type irq_kobj_type = {
 };
 
 static void irq_sysfs_add(int irq, struct irq_desc *desc) {}
+static void irq_sysfs_del(struct irq_desc *desc) {}
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_SYSFS */
 
@@ -438,7 +451,7 @@ static void free_desc(unsigned int irq)
 	 * The sysfs entry must be serialized against a concurrent
 	 * irq_sysfs_init() as well.
 	 */
-	kobject_del(&desc->kobj);
+	irq_sysfs_del(desc);
 	delete_irq_desc(irq);
 
 	/*