diff --git a/sound/core/seq/seq_timer.c b/sound/core/seq/seq_timer.c
index f587d0e2747606e116a26e71722a0b705190bcfd..168256b58313f6ea3314e3564bb6172a0cb8071c 100644
--- a/sound/core/seq/seq_timer.c
+++ b/sound/core/seq/seq_timer.c
@@ -308,8 +308,15 @@ int snd_seq_timer_open(struct snd_seq_queue *q)
 	t->callback_data = q;
 	t->flags |= SNDRV_TIMER_IFLG_AUTO;
 	spin_lock_irq(&tmr->lock);
-	tmr->timeri = t;
+	if (tmr->timeri)
+		err = -EBUSY;
+	else
+		tmr->timeri = t;
 	spin_unlock_irq(&tmr->lock);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		snd_timer_close(t);
+		return err;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }