diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_83xx_init.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_83xx_init.c
index d2c190732d3e..beeeec8516b8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_83xx_init.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_83xx_init.c
@@ -2505,7 +2505,13 @@ int qlcnic_83xx_init(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter, int pci_using_dac)
 		goto disable_mbx_intr;
 
 	qlcnic_83xx_clear_function_resources(adapter);
-	qlcnic_dcb_enable(adapter->dcb);
+
+	err = qlcnic_dcb_enable(adapter->dcb);
+	if (err) {
+		qlcnic_dcb_free(adapter->dcb);
+		goto disable_mbx_intr;
+	}
+
 	qlcnic_83xx_initialize_nic(adapter, 1);
 	qlcnic_dcb_get_info(adapter->dcb);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_dcb.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_dcb.h
index 7519773eaca6..22afa2be85fd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_dcb.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_dcb.h
@@ -41,11 +41,6 @@ struct qlcnic_dcb {
 	unsigned long			state;
 };
 
-static inline void qlcnic_clear_dcb_ops(struct qlcnic_dcb *dcb)
-{
-	kfree(dcb);
-}
-
 static inline int qlcnic_dcb_get_hw_capability(struct qlcnic_dcb *dcb)
 {
 	if (dcb && dcb->ops->get_hw_capability)
@@ -112,9 +107,8 @@ static inline void qlcnic_dcb_init_dcbnl_ops(struct qlcnic_dcb *dcb)
 		dcb->ops->init_dcbnl_ops(dcb);
 }
 
-static inline void qlcnic_dcb_enable(struct qlcnic_dcb *dcb)
+static inline int qlcnic_dcb_enable(struct qlcnic_dcb *dcb)
 {
-	if (dcb && qlcnic_dcb_attach(dcb))
-		qlcnic_clear_dcb_ops(dcb);
+	return dcb ? qlcnic_dcb_attach(dcb) : 0;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_main.c
index 27c07b2412f4..44b745293fd0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qlcnic/qlcnic_main.c
@@ -2622,7 +2622,13 @@ qlcnic_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 			 "Device does not support MSI interrupts\n");
 
 	if (qlcnic_82xx_check(adapter)) {
-		qlcnic_dcb_enable(adapter->dcb);
+		err = qlcnic_dcb_enable(adapter->dcb);
+		if (err) {
+			qlcnic_dcb_free(adapter->dcb);
+			dev_err(&pdev->dev, "Failed to enable DCB\n");
+			goto err_out_free_hw;
+		}
+
 		qlcnic_dcb_get_info(adapter->dcb);
 		err = qlcnic_setup_intr(adapter);