down_write(&bonding_rwsem);
 
        /* Check to see if the bond already exists. */
-       list_for_each_entry_safe(bond, nxt, &bond_dev_list, bond_list)
-               if (strnicmp(bond->dev->name, name, IFNAMSIZ) == 0) {
-                       printk(KERN_ERR DRV_NAME
+       if (name) {
+               list_for_each_entry_safe(bond, nxt, &bond_dev_list, bond_list)
+                       if (strnicmp(bond->dev->name, name, IFNAMSIZ) == 0) {
+                               printk(KERN_ERR DRV_NAME
                               ": cannot add bond %s; it already exists\n",
-                              name);
-                       res = -EPERM;
-                       goto out_rtnl;
-               }
+                                      name);
+                               res = -EPERM;
+                               goto out_rtnl;
+                       }
+       }
 
        bond_dev = alloc_netdev(sizeof(struct bonding), name ? name : "",
                                ether_setup);