diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_ssif.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_ssif.c
index 6f2eaba1cd6a60..932678617dfa7e 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_ssif.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_ssif.c
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ struct ssif_addr_info {
 	struct device *dev;
 	struct i2c_client *client;
 
+	struct i2c_client *added_client;
+
 	struct mutex clients_mutex;
 	struct list_head clients;
 
@@ -1710,15 +1712,7 @@ static int ssif_probe(struct i2c_client *client, const struct i2c_device_id *id)
 
  out:
 	if (rv) {
-		/*
-		 * Note that if addr_info->client is assigned, we
-		 * leave it.  The i2c client hangs around even if we
-		 * return a failure here, and the failure here is not
-		 * propagated back to the i2c code.  This seems to be
-		 * design intent, strange as it may be.  But if we
-		 * don't leave it, ssif_platform_remove will not remove
-		 * the client like it should.
-		 */
+		addr_info->client = NULL;
 		dev_err(&client->dev, "Unable to start IPMI SSIF: %d\n", rv);
 		kfree(ssif_info);
 	}
@@ -1737,7 +1731,8 @@ static int ssif_adapter_handler(struct device *adev, void *opaque)
 	if (adev->type != &i2c_adapter_type)
 		return 0;
 
-	i2c_new_device(to_i2c_adapter(adev), &addr_info->binfo);
+	addr_info->added_client = i2c_new_device(to_i2c_adapter(adev),
+						 &addr_info->binfo);
 
 	if (!addr_info->adapter_name)
 		return 1; /* Only try the first I2C adapter by default. */
@@ -2018,8 +2013,8 @@ static int ssif_platform_remove(struct platform_device *dev)
 		return 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&ssif_infos_mutex);
-	if (addr_info->client)
-		i2c_unregister_device(addr_info->client);
+	if (addr_info->added_client)
+		i2c_unregister_device(addr_info->added_client);
 
 	list_del(&addr_info->link);
 	kfree(addr_info);