diff --git a/sound/usb/pcm.c b/sound/usb/pcm.c
index cff3a3c465d736f17d73a4cf6c01c54c936469c3..4132522ac90f8c88da831b68f9cbdf777131de8e 100644
--- a/sound/usb/pcm.c
+++ b/sound/usb/pcm.c
@@ -676,8 +676,10 @@ static int snd_usb_pcm_check_knot(struct snd_pcm_runtime *runtime,
 	if (!needs_knot)
 		return 0;
 
-	subs->rate_list.count = count;
 	subs->rate_list.list = kmalloc(sizeof(int) * count, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!subs->rate_list.list)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	subs->rate_list.count = count;
 	subs->rate_list.mask = 0;
 	count = 0;
 	list_for_each_entry(fp, &subs->fmt_list, list) {