diff --git a/fs/coda/cnode.c b/fs/coda/cnode.c
index 6475877..8af67c9c 100644
--- a/fs/coda/cnode.c
+++ b/fs/coda/cnode.c
@@ -156,19 +156,16 @@
 }
 
 /* the CONTROL inode is made without asking attributes from Venus */
-int coda_cnode_makectl(struct inode **inode, struct super_block *sb)
+struct inode *coda_cnode_makectl(struct super_block *sb)
 {
-	int error = -ENOMEM;
-
-	*inode = new_inode(sb);
-	if (*inode) {
-		(*inode)->i_ino = CTL_INO;
-		(*inode)->i_op = &coda_ioctl_inode_operations;
-		(*inode)->i_fop = &coda_ioctl_operations;
-		(*inode)->i_mode = 0444;
-		error = 0;
+	struct inode *inode = new_inode(sb);
+	if (inode) {
+		inode->i_ino = CTL_INO;
+		inode->i_op = &coda_ioctl_inode_operations;
+		inode->i_fop = &coda_ioctl_operations;
+		inode->i_mode = 0444;
+		return inode;
 	}
-
-	return error;
+	return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h b/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
index e35071b..1c17446f 100644
--- a/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
+++ b/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 int coda_cnode_make(struct inode **, struct CodaFid *, struct super_block *);
 struct inode *coda_iget(struct super_block *sb, struct CodaFid *fid, struct coda_vattr *attr);
-int coda_cnode_makectl(struct inode **inode, struct super_block *sb);
+struct inode *coda_cnode_makectl(struct super_block *sb);
 struct inode *coda_fid_to_inode(struct CodaFid *fid, struct super_block *sb);
 void coda_replace_fid(struct inode *, struct CodaFid *, struct CodaFid *);
 
diff --git a/fs/coda/dir.c b/fs/coda/dir.c
index 83d2fd8..df0f9c1 100644
--- a/fs/coda/dir.c
+++ b/fs/coda/dir.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 
 	/* control object, create inode on the fly */
 	if (coda_isroot(dir) && coda_iscontrol(name, length)) {
-		error = coda_cnode_makectl(&inode, dir->i_sb);
+		inode = coda_cnode_makectl(dir->i_sb);
 		type = CODA_NOCACHE;
 		goto exit;
 	}
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
 		return ERR_PTR(error);
 
 exit:
-	if (inode && (type & CODA_NOCACHE))
+	if (inode && !IS_ERR(inode) && (type & CODA_NOCACHE))
 		coda_flag_inode(inode, C_VATTR | C_PURGE);
 
 	return d_splice_alias(inode, entry);