diff --git a/[refs] b/[refs]
index 4a285b7cab51..9c24b3fd73d6 100644
--- a/[refs]
+++ b/[refs]
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 ---
-refs/heads/master: a1cdedac634eef81f747078bf1c27ad36ab13553
+refs/heads/master: 6ea438ec8da4ec56bf415f5ea360e6b0cb59c6c3
diff --git a/trunk/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c b/trunk/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
index 527d51319f3c..b995502400b8 100644
--- a/trunk/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
+++ b/trunk/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
@@ -866,8 +866,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_detach_client);
  */
 struct i2c_client *i2c_use_client(struct i2c_client *client)
 {
-	get_device(&client->dev);
-	return client;
+	if (client && get_device(&client->dev))
+		return client;
+	return NULL;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_use_client);
 
@@ -879,7 +880,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_use_client);
  */
 void i2c_release_client(struct i2c_client *client)
 {
-	put_device(&client->dev);
+	if (client)
+		put_device(&client->dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_release_client);