diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
index acab9ef5c6a..7e6bbdb886c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
@@ -9434,6 +9434,12 @@ static pci_ers_result_t i40e_pci_error_detected(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 
 	dev_info(&pdev->dev, "%s: error %d\n", __func__, error);
 
+	if (!pf) {
+		dev_info(&pdev->dev,
+			 "Cannot recover - error happened during device probe\n");
+		return PCI_ERS_RESULT_DISCONNECT;
+	}
+
 	/* shutdown all operations */
 	if (!test_bit(__I40E_SUSPENDED, &pf->state)) {
 		rtnl_lock();