diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
index f567805cbde8..8f4cc52b2a06 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
@@ -2062,6 +2062,14 @@ out_err:
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
+static void pinctrl_uninit_controller(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev, struct pinctrl_desc *pctldesc)
+{
+	pinctrl_free_pindescs(pctldev, pctldesc->pins,
+			      pctldesc->npins);
+	mutex_destroy(&pctldev->mutex);
+	kfree(pctldev);
+}
+
 static int pinctrl_claim_hogs(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev)
 {
 	pctldev->p = create_pinctrl(pctldev->dev, pctldev);
@@ -2142,8 +2150,10 @@ struct pinctrl_dev *pinctrl_register(struct pinctrl_desc *pctldesc,
 		return pctldev;
 
 	error = pinctrl_enable(pctldev);
-	if (error)
+	if (error) {
+		pinctrl_uninit_controller(pctldev, pctldesc);
 		return ERR_PTR(error);
+	}
 
 	return pctldev;
 }