diff --git a/drivers/mfd/cros_ec.c b/drivers/mfd/cros_ec.c
index abd83424b498..3e18d2595b6d 100644
--- a/drivers/mfd/cros_ec.c
+++ b/drivers/mfd/cros_ec.c
@@ -86,7 +86,11 @@ int cros_ec_register(struct cros_ec_device *ec_dev)
 
 	mutex_init(&ec_dev->lock);
 
-	cros_ec_query_all(ec_dev);
+	err = cros_ec_query_all(ec_dev);
+	if (err) {
+		dev_err(dev, "Cannot identify the EC: error %d\n", err);
+		return err;
+	}
 
 	if (ec_dev->irq) {
 		err = request_threaded_irq(ec_dev->irq, NULL, ec_irq_thread,