{
        unsigned long flags;
        unsigned i;
-       static struct cardstate *ret = NULL;
+       struct cardstate *ret = NULL;
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(&drv->lock, flags);
        for (i = 0; i < drv->minors; ++i) {
                if (!(drv->flags[i] & VALID_MINOR)) {
-                       drv->flags[i] = VALID_MINOR;
-                       ret = drv->cs + i;
-               }
-               if (ret)
+                       if (try_module_get(drv->owner)) {
+                               drv->flags[i] = VALID_MINOR;
+                               ret = drv->cs + i;
+                       }
                        break;
+               }
        }
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&drv->lock, flags);
        return ret;
        unsigned long flags;
        struct gigaset_driver *drv = cs->driver;
        spin_lock_irqsave(&drv->lock, flags);
+       if (drv->flags[cs->minor_index] & VALID_MINOR)
+               module_put(drv->owner);
        drv->flags[cs->minor_index] = 0;
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&drv->lock, flags);
 }
        } else if ((bcs->skb = dev_alloc_skb(SBUFSIZE + HW_HDR_LEN)) != NULL)
                skb_reserve(bcs->skb, HW_HDR_LEN);
        else {
-               warn("could not allocate skb\n");
+               warn("could not allocate skb");
                bcs->inputstate |= INS_skip_frame;
        }
 
        int i;
 
        gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating cs");
-       cs = alloc_cs(drv);
-       if (!cs)
-               goto error;
+       if (!(cs = alloc_cs(drv))) {
+               err("maximum number of devices exceeded");
+               return NULL;
+       }
+       mutex_init(&cs->mutex);
+       mutex_lock(&cs->mutex);
+
        gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating bcs[0..%d]", channels - 1);
        cs->bcs = kmalloc(channels * sizeof(struct bc_state), GFP_KERNEL);
-       if (!cs->bcs)
+       if (!cs->bcs) {
+               err("out of memory");
                goto error;
+       }
        gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating inbuf");
        cs->inbuf = kmalloc(sizeof(struct inbuf_t), GFP_KERNEL);
-       if (!cs->inbuf)
+       if (!cs->inbuf) {
+               err("out of memory");
                goto error;
+       }
 
        cs->cs_init = 0;
        cs->channels = channels;
        spin_lock_init(&cs->ev_lock);
        cs->ev_tail = 0;
        cs->ev_head = 0;
-       mutex_init(&cs->mutex);
-       mutex_lock(&cs->mutex);
 
        tasklet_init(&cs->event_tasklet, &gigaset_handle_event,
                     (unsigned long) cs);
 
        for (i = 0; i < channels; ++i) {
                gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "setting up bcs[%d].read", i);
-               if (!gigaset_initbcs(cs->bcs + i, cs, i))
+               if (!gigaset_initbcs(cs->bcs + i, cs, i)) {
+                       err("could not allocate channel %d data", i);
                        goto error;
+               }
        }
 
        ++cs->cs_init;
        make_valid(cs, VALID_ID);
        ++cs->cs_init;
        gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "setting up hw");
-       if (!cs->ops->initcshw(cs))
+       if (!cs->ops->initcshw(cs)) {
+               err("could not allocate device specific data");
                goto error;
+       }
 
        ++cs->cs_init;
 
        mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
        return cs;
 
-error: if (cs)
-               mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
+error:
+       mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
        gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "failed");
        gigaset_freecs(cs);
        return NULL;
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&driver_lock, flags);
 
        gigaset_if_freedriver(drv);
-       module_put(drv->owner);
 
        kfree(drv->cs);
        kfree(drv->flags);
        if (!drv)
                return NULL;
 
-       if (!try_module_get(owner))
-               goto out1;
-
-       drv->cs = NULL;
        drv->have_tty = 0;
        drv->minor = minor;
        drv->minors = minors;
 
        drv->cs = kmalloc(minors * sizeof *drv->cs, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!drv->cs)
-               goto out2;
+               goto error;
 
        drv->flags = kmalloc(minors * sizeof *drv->flags, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!drv->flags)
-               goto out3;
+               goto error;
 
        for (i = 0; i < minors; ++i) {
                drv->flags[i] = 0;
 
        return drv;
 
-out3:
+error:
        kfree(drv->cs);
-out2:
-       module_put(owner);
-out1:
        kfree(drv);
        return NULL;
 }