diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
index 238ea95a4115..c88227b3b9db 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
@@ -378,15 +378,15 @@ event_format_read(struct file *filp, char __user *ubuf, size_t cnt,
 	char *buf;
 	int r;
 
+	if (*ppos)
+		return 0;
+
 	s = kmalloc(sizeof(*s), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!s)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	trace_seq_init(s);
 
-	if (*ppos)
-		return 0;
-
 	/* If any of the first writes fail, so will the show_format. */
 
 	trace_seq_printf(s, "name: %s\n", call->name);