diff --git a/drivers/base/class.c b/drivers/base/class.c
index 7b38fdf8e1d7..451043173c12 100644
--- a/drivers/base/class.c
+++ b/drivers/base/class.c
@@ -312,8 +312,12 @@ void class_dev_iter_init(struct class_dev_iter *iter, const struct class *class,
 	struct subsys_private *sp = class_to_subsys(class);
 	struct klist_node *start_knode = NULL;
 
-	if (!sp)
+	memset(iter, 0, sizeof(*iter));
+	if (!sp) {
+		pr_crit("%s: class %p was not registered yet\n",
+			__func__, class);
 		return;
+	}
 
 	if (start)
 		start_knode = &start->p->knode_class;
@@ -340,6 +344,9 @@ struct device *class_dev_iter_next(struct class_dev_iter *iter)
 	struct klist_node *knode;
 	struct device *dev;
 
+	if (!iter->sp)
+		return NULL;
+
 	while (1) {
 		knode = klist_next(&iter->ki);
 		if (!knode)