static int phylink_register_sfp(struct phylink *pl,
                                struct fwnode_handle *fwnode)
 {
-       struct fwnode_reference_args ref;
+       struct sfp_bus *bus;
        int ret;
 
-       if (!fwnode)
-               return 0;
-
-       ret = fwnode_property_get_reference_args(fwnode, "sfp", NULL,
-                                                0, 0, &ref);
-       if (ret < 0) {
-               if (ret == -ENOENT)
-                       return 0;
-
-               phylink_err(pl, "unable to parse \"sfp\" node: %d\n",
-                           ret);
+       bus = sfp_register_upstream_node(fwnode, pl, &sfp_phylink_ops);
+       if (IS_ERR(bus)) {
+               ret = PTR_ERR(bus);
+               phylink_err(pl, "unable to attach SFP bus: %d\n", ret);
                return ret;
        }
 
-       pl->sfp_bus = sfp_register_upstream(ref.fwnode, pl, &sfp_phylink_ops);
-       if (!pl->sfp_bus)
-               return -ENOMEM;
+       pl->sfp_bus = bus;
 
        return 0;
 }
 
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/phylink.h>
+#include <linux/property.h>
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 
 }
 
 /**
- * sfp_register_upstream() - Register the neighbouring device
- * @fwnode: firmware node for the SFP bus
+ * sfp_register_upstream_node() - parse and register the neighbouring device
+ * @fwnode: firmware node for the parent device (MAC or PHY)
  * @upstream: the upstream private data
  * @ops: the upstream's &struct sfp_upstream_ops
  *
- * Register the upstream device (eg, PHY) with the SFP bus. MAC drivers
- * should use phylink, which will call this function for them. Returns
- * a pointer to the allocated &struct sfp_bus.
+ * Parse the parent device's firmware node for a SFP bus, and register the
+ * SFP bus using sfp_register_upstream().
  *
- * On error, returns %NULL.
+ * Returns: on success, a pointer to the sfp_bus structure,
+ *         %NULL if no SFP is specified,
+ *         on failure, an error pointer value:
+ *             corresponding to the errors detailed for
+ *             fwnode_property_get_reference_args().
+ *             %-ENOMEM if we failed to allocate the bus.
+ *             an error from the upstream's connect_phy() method.
  */
-struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
-                                     void *upstream,
-                                     const struct sfp_upstream_ops *ops)
+struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream_node(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
+                                          void *upstream,
+                                          const struct sfp_upstream_ops *ops)
 {
-       struct sfp_bus *bus = sfp_bus_get(fwnode);
-       int ret = 0;
+       struct fwnode_reference_args ref;
+       struct sfp_bus *bus;
+       int ret;
 
-       if (bus) {
-               rtnl_lock();
-               bus->upstream_ops = ops;
-               bus->upstream = upstream;
+       ret = fwnode_property_get_reference_args(fwnode, "sfp", NULL,
+                                                0, 0, &ref);
+       if (ret == -ENOENT)
+               return NULL;
+       else if (ret < 0)
+               return ERR_PTR(ret);
 
-               if (bus->sfp) {
-                       ret = sfp_register_bus(bus);
-                       if (ret)
-                               sfp_upstream_clear(bus);
-               }
-               rtnl_unlock();
+       bus = sfp_bus_get(ref.fwnode);
+       fwnode_handle_put(ref.fwnode);
+       if (!bus)
+               return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+
+       rtnl_lock();
+       bus->upstream_ops = ops;
+       bus->upstream = upstream;
+
+       if (bus->sfp) {
+               ret = sfp_register_bus(bus);
+               if (ret)
+                       sfp_upstream_clear(bus);
+       } else {
+               ret = 0;
        }
+       rtnl_unlock();
 
        if (ret) {
                sfp_bus_put(bus);
-               bus = NULL;
+               bus = ERR_PTR(ret);
        }
 
        return bus;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(sfp_register_upstream);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(sfp_register_upstream_node);
 
 /**
  * sfp_unregister_upstream() - Unregister sfp bus
 
                          u8 *data);
 void sfp_upstream_start(struct sfp_bus *bus);
 void sfp_upstream_stop(struct sfp_bus *bus);
-struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
-                                     void *upstream,
-                                     const struct sfp_upstream_ops *ops);
+struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream_node(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
+                                          void *upstream,
+                                          const struct sfp_upstream_ops *ops);
 void sfp_unregister_upstream(struct sfp_bus *bus);
 #else
 static inline int sfp_parse_port(struct sfp_bus *bus,
 {
 }
 
-static inline struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream(
+static inline struct sfp_bus *sfp_register_upstream_node(
        struct fwnode_handle *fwnode, void *upstream,
        const struct sfp_upstream_ops *ops)
 {
-       return (struct sfp_bus *)-1;
+       return NULL;
 }
 
 static inline void sfp_unregister_upstream(struct sfp_bus *bus)