diff --git a/drivers/rknpu/rknpu_devfreq.c b/drivers/rknpu/rknpu_devfreq.c
index ec8de47715ef..a2a83a9ccd9e 100644
--- a/drivers/rknpu/rknpu_devfreq.c
+++ b/drivers/rknpu/rknpu_devfreq.c
@@ -334,8 +334,8 @@ int rknpu_devfreq_init(struct rknpu_device *rknpu_dev)
 						     (void *)rknpu_dev);
 	if (IS_ERR(rknpu_dev->devfreq)) {
 		LOG_DEV_ERROR(dev, "failed to add devfreq\n");
-		rknpu_dev->devfreq = NULL;
 		ret = PTR_ERR(rknpu_dev->devfreq);
+		rknpu_dev->devfreq = NULL;
 		goto err_remove_governor;
 	}