diff --git a/sys/dev/gpio/gpioc.c b/sys/dev/gpio/gpioc.c
--- a/sys/dev/gpio/gpioc.c
+++ b/sys/dev/gpio/gpioc.c
@@ -677,16 +677,10 @@
 gpioc_open(struct cdev *dev, int oflags, int devtype, struct thread *td)
 {
 	struct gpioc_cdevpriv *priv;
-	int err;
 
 	priv = malloc(sizeof(*priv), M_GPIOC, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 	priv->sc = dev->si_drv1;
 	priv->report_option = GPIO_EVENT_REPORT_DETAIL;
-	err = devfs_set_cdevpriv(priv, gpioc_cdevpriv_dtor);
-	if (err != 0) {
-		gpioc_cdevpriv_dtor(priv);
-		return (err);
-	}
 	mtx_init(&priv->mtx, "gpioc priv", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	knlist_init_mtx(&priv->selinfo.si_note, &priv->mtx);
 
@@ -701,7 +695,7 @@
 	priv->events = malloc(priv->numevents * sizeof(struct gpio_event_detail),
 	    M_GPIOC, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 
-	return (0);
+	return devfs_set_cdevpriv(priv, gpioc_cdevpriv_dtor);
 }
 
 static int