int i;
 
        lp->rx_skb = kzalloc(sizeof(*lp->rx_skb) * RX_BD_NUM, GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!lp->rx_skb) {
+               dev_err(&ndev->dev,
+                               "can't allocate memory for DMA RX buffer\n");
+               goto out;
+       }
        /* allocate the tx and rx ring buffer descriptors. */
        /* returns a virtual addres and a physical address. */
        lp->tx_bd_v = dma_alloc_coherent(ndev->dev.parent,
                                         sizeof(*lp->tx_bd_v) * TX_BD_NUM,
                                         &lp->tx_bd_p, GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!lp->tx_bd_v) {
+               dev_err(&ndev->dev,
+                               "unable to allocate DMA TX buffer descriptors");
+               goto out;
+       }
        lp->rx_bd_v = dma_alloc_coherent(ndev->dev.parent,
                                         sizeof(*lp->rx_bd_v) * RX_BD_NUM,
                                         &lp->rx_bd_p, GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!lp->rx_bd_v) {
+               dev_err(&ndev->dev,
+                               "unable to allocate DMA RX buffer descriptors");
+               goto out;
+       }
 
        memset(lp->tx_bd_v, 0, sizeof(*lp->tx_bd_v) * TX_BD_NUM);
        for (i = 0; i < TX_BD_NUM; i++) {
 
                if (skb == 0) {
                        dev_err(&ndev->dev, "alloc_skb error %d\n", i);
-                       return -1;
+                       goto out;
                }
                lp->rx_skb[i] = skb;
                /* returns physical address of skb->data */
        lp->dma_out(lp, TX_CURDESC_PTR, lp->tx_bd_p);
 
        return 0;
+
+out:
+       return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        }
        lp->dma_out(lp, DMA_CONTROL_REG, DMA_TAIL_ENABLE);
 
-       temac_dma_bd_init(ndev);
+       if (temac_dma_bd_init(ndev)) {
+               dev_err(&ndev->dev,
+                               "temac_device_reset descriptor allocation failed\n");
+       }
 
        temac_indirect_out32(lp, XTE_RXC0_OFFSET, 0);
        temac_indirect_out32(lp, XTE_RXC1_OFFSET, 0);