diff --git a/drivers/block/nbd.c b/drivers/block/nbd.c
index 4be8ae20d1da6..b31eb9c7f239b 100644
--- a/drivers/block/nbd.c
+++ b/drivers/block/nbd.c
@@ -1467,15 +1467,20 @@ static struct nbd_config *nbd_alloc_config(void)
 {
 	struct nbd_config *config;
 
+	if (!try_module_get(THIS_MODULE))
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+
 	config = kzalloc(sizeof(struct nbd_config), GFP_NOFS);
-	if (!config)
-		return NULL;
+	if (!config) {
+		module_put(THIS_MODULE);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	}
+
 	atomic_set(&config->recv_threads, 0);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&config->recv_wq);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&config->conn_wait);
 	config->blksize_bits = NBD_DEF_BLKSIZE_BITS;
 	atomic_set(&config->live_connections, 0);
-	try_module_get(THIS_MODULE);
 	return config;
 }
 
@@ -1502,12 +1507,13 @@ static int nbd_open(struct block_device *bdev, fmode_t mode)
 			mutex_unlock(&nbd->config_lock);
 			goto out;
 		}
-		config = nbd->config = nbd_alloc_config();
-		if (!config) {
-			ret = -ENOMEM;
+		config = nbd_alloc_config();
+		if (IS_ERR(config)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(config);
 			mutex_unlock(&nbd->config_lock);
 			goto out;
 		}
+		nbd->config = config;
 		refcount_set(&nbd->config_refs, 1);
 		refcount_inc(&nbd->refs);
 		mutex_unlock(&nbd->config_lock);
@@ -1914,13 +1920,14 @@ static int nbd_genl_connect(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 		nbd_put(nbd);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
-	config = nbd->config = nbd_alloc_config();
-	if (!nbd->config) {
+	config = nbd_alloc_config();
+	if (IS_ERR(config)) {
 		mutex_unlock(&nbd->config_lock);
 		nbd_put(nbd);
 		printk(KERN_ERR "nbd: couldn't allocate config\n");
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return PTR_ERR(config);
 	}
+	nbd->config = config;
 	refcount_set(&nbd->config_refs, 1);
 	set_bit(NBD_RT_BOUND, &config->runtime_flags);
 
@@ -2493,6 +2500,9 @@ static void __exit nbd_cleanup(void)
 	while (!list_empty(&del_list)) {
 		nbd = list_first_entry(&del_list, struct nbd_device, list);
 		list_del_init(&nbd->list);
+		if (refcount_read(&nbd->config_refs))
+			printk(KERN_ERR "nbd: possibly leaking nbd_config (ref %d)\n",
+					refcount_read(&nbd->config_refs));
 		if (refcount_read(&nbd->refs) != 1)
 			printk(KERN_ERR "nbd: possibly leaking a device\n");
 		nbd_put(nbd);