diff --git a/drivers/extcon/extcon-axp288.c b/drivers/extcon/extcon-axp288.c
index fdb31954cf2b..8073bc7d3e61 100644
--- a/drivers/extcon/extcon-axp288.c
+++ b/drivers/extcon/extcon-axp288.c
@@ -375,8 +375,8 @@ static int axp288_extcon_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		if (adev) {
 			info->id_extcon = extcon_get_extcon_dev(acpi_dev_name(adev));
 			put_device(&adev->dev);
-			if (!info->id_extcon)
-				return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+			if (IS_ERR(info->id_extcon))
+				return PTR_ERR(info->id_extcon);
 
 			dev_info(dev, "controlling USB role\n");
 		} else {
diff --git a/drivers/extcon/extcon.c b/drivers/extcon/extcon.c
index e7a9561a826d..9eb92997f3ae 100644
--- a/drivers/extcon/extcon.c
+++ b/drivers/extcon/extcon.c
@@ -863,6 +863,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(extcon_set_property_capability);
  * @extcon_name:	the extcon name provided with extcon_dev_register()
  *
  * Return the pointer of extcon device if success or ERR_PTR(err) if fail.
+ * NOTE: This function returns -EPROBE_DEFER so it may only be called from
+ * probe() functions.
  */
 struct extcon_dev *extcon_get_extcon_dev(const char *extcon_name)
 {
@@ -876,7 +878,7 @@ struct extcon_dev *extcon_get_extcon_dev(const char *extcon_name)
 		if (!strcmp(sd->name, extcon_name))
 			goto out;
 	}
-	sd = NULL;
+	sd = ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER);
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&extcon_dev_list_lock);
 	return sd;
diff --git a/drivers/power/supply/axp288_charger.c b/drivers/power/supply/axp288_charger.c
index fb9db7f43895..22378dad4d9f 100644
--- a/drivers/power/supply/axp288_charger.c
+++ b/drivers/power/supply/axp288_charger.c
@@ -832,17 +832,20 @@ static int axp288_charger_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	info->regmap_irqc = axp20x->regmap_irqc;
 
 	info->cable.edev = extcon_get_extcon_dev(AXP288_EXTCON_DEV_NAME);
-	if (info->cable.edev == NULL) {
-		dev_dbg(dev, "%s is not ready, probe deferred\n",
-			AXP288_EXTCON_DEV_NAME);
-		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+	if (IS_ERR(info->cable.edev)) {
+		dev_err_probe(dev, PTR_ERR(info->cable.edev),
+			      "extcon_get_extcon_dev(%s) failed\n",
+			      AXP288_EXTCON_DEV_NAME);
+		return PTR_ERR(info->cable.edev);
 	}
 
 	if (acpi_dev_present(USB_HOST_EXTCON_HID, NULL, -1)) {
 		info->otg.cable = extcon_get_extcon_dev(USB_HOST_EXTCON_NAME);
-		if (info->otg.cable == NULL) {
-			dev_dbg(dev, "EXTCON_USB_HOST is not ready, probe deferred\n");
-			return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+		if (IS_ERR(info->otg.cable)) {
+			dev_err_probe(dev, PTR_ERR(info->otg.cable),
+				      "extcon_get_extcon_dev(%s) failed\n",
+				      USB_HOST_EXTCON_NAME);
+			return PTR_ERR(info->otg.cable);
 		}
 		dev_info(dev, "Using " USB_HOST_EXTCON_HID " extcon for usb-id\n");
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/power/supply/charger-manager.c b/drivers/power/supply/charger-manager.c
index d67edb760c94..92db79400a6a 100644
--- a/drivers/power/supply/charger-manager.c
+++ b/drivers/power/supply/charger-manager.c
@@ -985,13 +985,10 @@ static int charger_extcon_init(struct charger_manager *cm,
 	cable->nb.notifier_call = charger_extcon_notifier;
 
 	cable->extcon_dev = extcon_get_extcon_dev(cable->extcon_name);
-	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(cable->extcon_dev)) {
+	if (IS_ERR(cable->extcon_dev)) {
 		pr_err("Cannot find extcon_dev for %s (cable: %s)\n",
 			cable->extcon_name, cable->name);
-		if (cable->extcon_dev == NULL)
-			return -EPROBE_DEFER;
-		else
-			return PTR_ERR(cable->extcon_dev);
+		return PTR_ERR(cable->extcon_dev);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(extcon_mapping); i++) {
diff --git a/drivers/power/supply/max8997_charger.c b/drivers/power/supply/max8997_charger.c
index 25207fe2aa68..bfa7a576523d 100644
--- a/drivers/power/supply/max8997_charger.c
+++ b/drivers/power/supply/max8997_charger.c
@@ -248,10 +248,10 @@ static int max8997_battery_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		dev_info(&pdev->dev, "couldn't get charger regulator\n");
 	}
 	charger->edev = extcon_get_extcon_dev("max8997-muic");
-	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(charger->edev)) {
-		if (!charger->edev)
-			return -EPROBE_DEFER;
-		dev_info(charger->dev, "couldn't get extcon device\n");
+	if (IS_ERR(charger->edev)) {
+		dev_err_probe(charger->dev, PTR_ERR(charger->edev),
+			      "couldn't get extcon device: max8997-muic\n");
+		return PTR_ERR(charger->edev);
 	}
 
 	if (!IS_ERR(charger->reg) && !IS_ERR_OR_NULL(charger->edev)) {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/dwc3/drd.c b/drivers/usb/dwc3/drd.c
index f148b0370f82..81ff21bd405a 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/dwc3/drd.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/dwc3/drd.c
@@ -454,13 +454,8 @@ static struct extcon_dev *dwc3_get_extcon(struct dwc3 *dwc)
 	 * This device property is for kernel internal use only and
 	 * is expected to be set by the glue code.
 	 */
-	if (device_property_read_string(dev, "linux,extcon-name", &name) == 0) {
-		edev = extcon_get_extcon_dev(name);
-		if (!edev)
-			return ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER);
-
-		return edev;
-	}
+	if (device_property_read_string(dev, "linux,extcon-name", &name) == 0)
+		return extcon_get_extcon_dev(name);
 
 	/*
 	 * Try to get an extcon device from the USB PHY controller's "port"
diff --git a/drivers/usb/phy/phy-omap-otg.c b/drivers/usb/phy/phy-omap-otg.c
index ee0863c6553e..6e6ef8c0bc7e 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/phy/phy-omap-otg.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/phy/phy-omap-otg.c
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ static int omap_otg_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	extcon = extcon_get_extcon_dev(config->extcon);
-	if (!extcon)
-		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+	if (IS_ERR(extcon))
+		return PTR_ERR(extcon);
 
 	otg_dev = devm_kzalloc(&pdev->dev, sizeof(*otg_dev), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!otg_dev)
diff --git a/drivers/usb/typec/tcpm/fusb302.c b/drivers/usb/typec/tcpm/fusb302.c
index 72f9001b0792..96c55eaf3f80 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/typec/tcpm/fusb302.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/typec/tcpm/fusb302.c
@@ -1708,8 +1708,8 @@ static int fusb302_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 	 */
 	if (device_property_read_string(dev, "linux,extcon-name", &name) == 0) {
 		chip->extcon = extcon_get_extcon_dev(name);
-		if (!chip->extcon)
-			return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+		if (IS_ERR(chip->extcon))
+			return PTR_ERR(chip->extcon);
 	}
 
 	chip->vbus = devm_regulator_get(chip->dev, "vbus");
diff --git a/include/linux/extcon.h b/include/linux/extcon.h
index 0c19010da77f..685401d94d39 100644
--- a/include/linux/extcon.h
+++ b/include/linux/extcon.h
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static inline void devm_extcon_unregister_notifier_all(struct device *dev,
 
 static inline struct extcon_dev *extcon_get_extcon_dev(const char *extcon_name)
 {
-	return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 static inline struct extcon_dev *extcon_find_edev_by_node(struct device_node *node)