diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/highbank/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/highbank/init.c
index 1cb02e6..295d475 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/highbank/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/highbank/init.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 	fdt = IOMEM(FIRMWARE_DTB_BASE);
 
 	root = of_unflatten_dtb(fdt);
-	if (!root) {
+	if (IS_ERR(root)) {
 		pr_warn("no dtb found at 0x1000 use default configuration\n");
 		fdt = NULL;
 		goto not_found;
diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/dtb.c b/arch/arm/cpu/dtb.c
index ae4ff2a..b9390b4 100644
--- a/arch/arm/cpu/dtb.c
+++ b/arch/arm/cpu/dtb.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 	}
 
 	root = of_unflatten_dtb(fdt);
-	if (root) {
+	if (!IS_ERR(root)) {
 		of_set_root_node(root);
 		of_fix_tree(root);
 		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_OFDEVICE))
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/bootm.c b/arch/arm/lib/bootm.c
index 404a6ae..56663fe 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/bootm.c
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/bootm.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@
 
 	if (IS_BUILTIN(CONFIG_OFTREE)) {
 		data->of_root_node = of_unflatten_dtb(oftree);
-		if (!data->of_root_node) {
+		if (IS_ERR(data->of_root_node)) {
 			pr_err("unable to unflatten devicetree\n");
 			ret = -EINVAL;
 			goto err_free;
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dtb.c b/arch/mips/boot/dtb.c
index 977c837..e7633a5 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dtb.c
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dtb.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 		return 0;
 
 	root = of_unflatten_dtb(__dtb_start);
-	if (root) {
+	if (!IS_ERR(root)) {
 		pr_debug("using internal DTB\n");
 		of_set_root_node(root);
 		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_OFDEVICE))
diff --git a/arch/openrisc/lib/dtb.c b/arch/openrisc/lib/dtb.c
index 4f63a77..04bb6d2 100644
--- a/arch/openrisc/lib/dtb.c
+++ b/arch/openrisc/lib/dtb.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 		return 0;
 
 	root = of_unflatten_dtb(__dtb_start);
-	if (root) {
+	if (!IS_ERR(root)) {
 		pr_debug("using internal DTB\n");
 		of_set_root_node(root);
 		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_OFDEVICE))
diff --git a/common/bootm.c b/common/bootm.c
index 78d04d5..5984319 100644
--- a/common/bootm.c
+++ b/common/bootm.c
@@ -336,6 +336,9 @@
 
 	if (data->os_fit && data->os_fit->oftree) {
 		data->of_root_node = of_unflatten_dtb(data->os_fit->oftree);
+
+		if (IS_ERR(data->of_root_node))
+			data->of_root_node = NULL;
 	} else if (data->oftree_file) {
 		size_t size;
 
@@ -367,7 +370,8 @@
 
 		free(oftree);
 
-		if (!data->of_root_node) {
+		if (IS_ERR(data->of_root_node)) {
+			data->of_root_node = NULL;
 			pr_err("unable to unflatten devicetree\n");
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}