diff --git a/drivers/scsi/st.c b/drivers/scsi/st.c
index b37b9b00c4b460ca97b44720d5aee1405c2d89ef..3e79c80bf6c6fbf009c83714187391ed25ed3dcb 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/st.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/st.c
@@ -4083,6 +4083,7 @@ static int create_one_cdev(struct scsi_tape *tape, int mode, int rew)
 	}
 	cdev->owner = THIS_MODULE;
 	cdev->ops = &st_fops;
+	STm->cdevs[rew] = cdev;
 
 	error = cdev_add(cdev, cdev_devno, 1);
 	if (error) {
@@ -4091,7 +4092,6 @@ static int create_one_cdev(struct scsi_tape *tape, int mode, int rew)
 		pr_err("st%d: Device not attached.\n", dev_num);
 		goto out_free;
 	}
-	STm->cdevs[rew] = cdev;
 
 	i = mode << (4 - ST_NBR_MODE_BITS);
 	snprintf(name, 10, "%s%s%s", rew ? "n" : "",
@@ -4110,8 +4110,9 @@ static int create_one_cdev(struct scsi_tape *tape, int mode, int rew)
 	return 0;
 out_free:
 	cdev_del(STm->cdevs[rew]);
-	STm->cdevs[rew] = NULL;
 out:
+	STm->cdevs[rew] = NULL;
+	STm->devs[rew] = NULL;
 	return error;
 }