diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/userlandfs/kernel_add_on/KernelRequestHandler.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/userlandfs/kernel_add_on/KernelRequestHandler.cpp
index e431d4a08d..732ed044ec 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/userlandfs/kernel_add_on/KernelRequestHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/userlandfs/kernel_add_on/KernelRequestHandler.cpp
@@ -671,10 +671,13 @@ KernelRequestHandler::_HandleRequest(FileCacheReadRequest* request)
 	}
 #else
 	// allocate a buffer
-	void* buffer = malloc(size);
-		// TODO: Limit size!
-	if (buffer == NULL)
-		result = B_NO_MEMORY;
+	void* buffer = NULL;
+	if (result == B_OK) {
+		buffer = malloc(size);
+			// TODO: Limit size!
+		if (buffer == NULL)
+			result = B_NO_MEMORY;
+	}
 	MemoryDeleter _2(buffer);
 
 	// execute the request