diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-cros-ec-tunnel.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-cros-ec-tunnel.c
index 2737fd8abd32494b2aaed2727f9cfe6a824edaf0..0cad18ae959eb976e29a960f59fa4fd55cde2854 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-cros-ec-tunnel.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-cros-ec-tunnel.c
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ static int ec_i2c_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	u32 remote_bus;
 	int err;
 
+	if (!ec)
+		return dev_err_probe(dev, -EPROBE_DEFER, "couldn't find parent EC device\n");
+
 	if (!ec->cmd_xfer) {
 		dev_err(dev, "Missing sendrecv\n");
 		return -EINVAL;