list_for_each_entry(device, &ig.device_list, ig_list)
                /* find if there's a match using the node GUID */
                if (device->ib_device->node_guid == cma_id->device->node_guid)
-                       goto out;
+                       goto inc_refcnt;
 
        device = kzalloc(sizeof *device, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (device == NULL)
        }
        list_add(&device->ig_list, &ig.device_list);
 
-out:
-       BUG_ON(device == NULL);
+inc_refcnt:
        device->refcount++;
+out:
        mutex_unlock(&ig.device_list_mutex);
        return device;
 }
        int    ret;
 
        device = iser_device_find_by_ib_device(cma_id);
+       if (!device) {
+               iser_err("device lookup/creation failed\n");
+               iser_connect_error(cma_id);
+               return;
+       }
+
        ib_conn = (struct iser_conn *)cma_id->context;
        ib_conn->device = device;
 
                iser_err("resolve route failed: %d\n", ret);
                iser_connect_error(cma_id);
        }
-       return;
 }
 
 static void iser_route_handler(struct rdma_cm_id *cma_id)