diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.c
index 2097f92e14c5..f98bff60bec3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.c
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(hnae3_unregister_ae_algo);
  * @ae_dev: the AE device
  * NOTE: the duplicated name will not be checked
  */
-void hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev)
+int hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev)
 {
 	const struct pci_device_id *id;
 	struct hnae3_ae_algo *ae_algo;
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ void hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev)
 
 		if (!ae_dev->ops) {
 			dev_err(&ae_dev->pdev->dev, "ae_dev ops are null\n");
+			ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
 			goto out_err;
 		}
 
@@ -286,8 +287,15 @@ void hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev)
 				ret);
 	}
 
-out_err:
 	mutex_unlock(&hnae3_common_lock);
+
+	return 0;
+
+out_err:
+	list_del(&ae_dev->node);
+	mutex_unlock(&hnae3_common_lock);
+
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(hnae3_register_ae_dev);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.h
index f5c7fc9c5e5c..5e1a7ab06c63 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hnae3.h
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ struct hnae3_handle {
 #define hnae3_get_bit(origin, shift) \
 	hnae3_get_field((origin), (0x1 << (shift)), (shift))
 
-void hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev);
+int hnae3_register_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev);
 void hnae3_unregister_ae_dev(struct hnae3_ae_dev *ae_dev);
 
 void hnae3_unregister_ae_algo(struct hnae3_ae_algo *ae_algo);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hns3_enet.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hns3_enet.c
index 4b4d9de0a6bb..0788e78747d9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hns3_enet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns3/hns3_enet.c
@@ -1604,9 +1604,13 @@ static int hns3_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 	ae_dev->dev_type = HNAE3_DEV_KNIC;
 	pci_set_drvdata(pdev, ae_dev);
 
-	hnae3_register_ae_dev(ae_dev);
+	ret = hnae3_register_ae_dev(ae_dev);
+	if (ret) {
+		devm_kfree(&pdev->dev, ae_dev);
+		pci_set_drvdata(pdev, NULL);
+	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /* hns3_remove - Device removal routine