diff --git a/include/net/phonet/phonet.h b/include/net/phonet/phonet.h
index 057b0a8a28859f519a6fc85694de0ee69913b8bf..d43f71b5ec004218f5eb969d15b8bd82ce143f9c 100644
--- a/include/net/phonet/phonet.h
+++ b/include/net/phonet/phonet.h
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ void phonet_proto_unregister(int protocol, struct phonet_protocol *pp);
 
 int phonet_sysctl_init(void);
 void phonet_sysctl_exit(void);
-void phonet_netlink_register(void);
 int isi_register(void);
 void isi_unregister(void);
 
diff --git a/include/net/phonet/pn_dev.h b/include/net/phonet/pn_dev.h
index aa1c59a1d33f6f5245b330b6e0f3e9fe9988420b..59ae628b1111801a251efa090a2ba7d6fc09b37f 100644
--- a/include/net/phonet/pn_dev.h
+++ b/include/net/phonet/pn_dev.h
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ struct phonet_device {
 	DECLARE_BITMAP(addrs, 64);
 };
 
-void phonet_device_init(void);
+int phonet_device_init(void);
 void phonet_device_exit(void);
+void phonet_netlink_register(void);
 struct net_device *phonet_device_get(struct net *net);
 
 int phonet_address_add(struct net_device *dev, u8 addr);
diff --git a/net/phonet/af_phonet.c b/net/phonet/af_phonet.c
index c7c39d92ee5e428ddfeac7a0900298b8e4a849a9..95bc49ddb8bf3588ff4b301d52122cb4b274885a 100644
--- a/net/phonet/af_phonet.c
+++ b/net/phonet/af_phonet.c
@@ -426,16 +426,18 @@ static int __init phonet_init(void)
 {
 	int err;
 
+	err = phonet_device_init();
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
 	err = sock_register(&phonet_proto_family);
 	if (err) {
 		printk(KERN_ALERT
 			"phonet protocol family initialization failed\n");
-		return err;
+		goto err_sock;
 	}
 
-	phonet_device_init();
 	dev_add_pack(&phonet_packet_type);
-	phonet_netlink_register();
 	phonet_sysctl_init();
 
 	err = isi_register();
@@ -447,6 +449,7 @@ err:
 	phonet_sysctl_exit();
 	sock_unregister(PF_PHONET);
 	dev_remove_pack(&phonet_packet_type);
+err_sock:
 	phonet_device_exit();
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/net/phonet/pn_dev.c b/net/phonet/pn_dev.c
index 5491bf5e354bbe20b7eb33a078e2a710e4d10d0b..af49db01d634ace9bb3c89e5d4aac2c33d1bc0fe 100644
--- a/net/phonet/pn_dev.c
+++ b/net/phonet/pn_dev.c
@@ -188,9 +188,11 @@ static struct notifier_block phonet_device_notifier = {
 };
 
 /* Initialize Phonet devices list */
-void phonet_device_init(void)
+int __init phonet_device_init(void)
 {
 	register_netdevice_notifier(&phonet_device_notifier);
+	phonet_netlink_register();
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void phonet_device_exit(void)