diff --git a/fs/hfs/bfind.c b/fs/hfs/bfind.c
index ef9498a6e88acd39e81cbfc2d5d0406477da0a1c..ae44c8fa86ec82b935bd3afdbf5b572acf77cb9c 100644
--- a/fs/hfs/bfind.c
+++ b/fs/hfs/bfind.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ int hfs_find_init(struct hfs_btree *tree, struct hfs_find_data *fd)
 {
 	void *ptr;
 
+	if (!tree)
+		return -EINVAL;
 	fd->tree = tree;
 	fd->bnode = NULL;
 	ptr = kmalloc(tree->max_key_len * 2 + 4, GFP_KERNEL);