diff --git a/arch/riscv/kernel/module.c b/arch/riscv/kernel/module.c
index 21c7a773a8ef..32743180e8ef 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/kernel/module.c
+++ b/arch/riscv/kernel/module.c
@@ -747,6 +747,10 @@ initialize_relocation_hashtable(unsigned int num_relocations,
 {
 	/* Can safely assume that bits is not greater than sizeof(long) */
 	unsigned long hashtable_size = roundup_pow_of_two(num_relocations);
+	/*
+	 * When hashtable_size == 1, hashtable_bits == 0.
+	 * This is valid because the hashing algorithm returns 0 in this case.
+	 */
 	unsigned int hashtable_bits = ilog2(hashtable_size);
 
 	/*
@@ -763,7 +767,7 @@ initialize_relocation_hashtable(unsigned int num_relocations,
 					      sizeof(*relocation_hashtable),
 					      GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!*relocation_hashtable)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return 0;
 
 	__hash_init(*relocation_hashtable, hashtable_size);
 
@@ -789,8 +793,8 @@ int apply_relocate_add(Elf_Shdr *sechdrs, const char *strtab,
 	hashtable_bits = initialize_relocation_hashtable(num_relocations,
 							 &relocation_hashtable);
 
-	if (hashtable_bits < 0)
-		return hashtable_bits;
+	if (!relocation_hashtable)
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&used_buckets_list);