diff --git a/drivers/nvmem/core.c b/drivers/nvmem/core.c
index 0ef7b95348b1..de356cdde4ce 100644
--- a/drivers/nvmem/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvmem/core.c
@@ -682,10 +682,16 @@ struct nvmem_device *nvmem_register(const struct nvmem_config *config)
 	nvmem->dev.groups = nvmem_dev_groups;
 #endif
 
+	dev_dbg(&nvmem->dev, "Registering nvmem device %s\n", config->name);
+
+	rval = device_add(&nvmem->dev);
+	if (rval)
+		goto err_put_device;
+
 	if (config->compat) {
 		rval = nvmem_sysfs_setup_compat(nvmem, config);
 		if (rval)
-			goto err_put_device;
+			goto err_device_del;
 	}
 
 	if (config->cells) {
@@ -702,12 +708,6 @@ struct nvmem_device *nvmem_register(const struct nvmem_config *config)
 	if (rval)
 		goto err_remove_cells;
 
-	dev_dbg(&nvmem->dev, "Registering nvmem device %s\n", config->name);
-
-	rval = device_add(&nvmem->dev);
-	if (rval)
-		goto err_remove_cells;
-
 	blocking_notifier_call_chain(&nvmem_notifier, NVMEM_ADD, nvmem);
 
 	return nvmem;
@@ -716,6 +716,8 @@ err_remove_cells:
 	nvmem_device_remove_all_cells(nvmem);
 	if (config->compat)
 		nvmem_sysfs_remove_compat(nvmem, config);
+err_device_del:
+	device_del(&nvmem->dev);
 err_put_device:
 	put_device(&nvmem->dev);