diff --git a/drivers/hwmon/tmp421.c b/drivers/hwmon/tmp421.c
index ede66ea6a730..8fd8c3a94dfe 100644
--- a/drivers/hwmon/tmp421.c
+++ b/drivers/hwmon/tmp421.c
@@ -119,38 +119,56 @@ static int temp_from_u16(u16 reg)
 	return (temp * 1000 + 128) / 256;
 }
 
-static struct tmp421_data *tmp421_update_device(struct device *dev)
+static int tmp421_update_device(struct tmp421_data *data)
 {
-	struct tmp421_data *data = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 	struct i2c_client *client = data->client;
+	int ret = 0;
 	int i;
 
 	mutex_lock(&data->update_lock);
 
 	if (time_after(jiffies, data->last_updated + (HZ / 2)) ||
 	    !data->valid) {
-		data->config = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client,
-			TMP421_CONFIG_REG_1);
+		ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, TMP421_CONFIG_REG_1);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			goto exit;
+		data->config = ret;
 
 		for (i = 0; i < data->channels; i++) {
-			data->temp[i] = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client,
-				TMP421_TEMP_MSB[i]) << 8;
-			data->temp[i] |= i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client,
-				TMP421_TEMP_LSB[i]);
+			ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, TMP421_TEMP_MSB[i]);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				goto exit;
+			data->temp[i] = ret << 8;
+
+			ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, TMP421_TEMP_LSB[i]);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				goto exit;
+			data->temp[i] |= ret;
 		}
 		data->last_updated = jiffies;
 		data->valid = 1;
 	}
 
+exit:
 	mutex_unlock(&data->update_lock);
 
-	return data;
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		data->valid = 0;
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int tmp421_read(struct device *dev, enum hwmon_sensor_types type,
 		       u32 attr, int channel, long *val)
 {
-	struct tmp421_data *tmp421 = tmp421_update_device(dev);
+	struct tmp421_data *tmp421 = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	ret = tmp421_update_device(tmp421);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	switch (attr) {
 	case hwmon_temp_input: