diff --git a/sound/pci/ad1889.c b/sound/pci/ad1889.c
index f4ec404c0d15..42a8fa3f4fdc 100644
--- a/sound/pci/ad1889.c
+++ b/sound/pci/ad1889.c
@@ -837,12 +837,12 @@ snd_ad1889_create(struct snd_card *card, struct pci_dev *pci)
 }
 
 static int
-__snd_ad1889_probe(struct pci_dev *pci,
-		   const struct pci_device_id *pci_id)
+snd_ad1889_probe(struct pci_dev *pci,
+		 const struct pci_device_id *pci_id)
 {
 	int err;
 	static int devno;
-	struct snd_card *card;
+	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_free) = NULL;
 	struct snd_ad1889 *chip;
 
 	/* (1) */
@@ -892,17 +892,12 @@ __snd_ad1889_probe(struct pci_dev *pci,
 
 	/* (7) */
 	pci_set_drvdata(pci, card);
+	card = NULL; /* probe succeeded, don't release as error */
 
 	devno++;
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int snd_ad1889_probe(struct pci_dev *pci,
-			    const struct pci_device_id *pci_id)
-{
-	return snd_card_free_on_error(&pci->dev, __snd_ad1889_probe(pci, pci_id));
-}
-
 static const struct pci_device_id snd_ad1889_ids[] = {
 	{ PCI_DEVICE(PCI_VENDOR_ID_ANALOG_DEVICES, PCI_DEVICE_ID_AD1889JS) },
 	{ 0, },