diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_cma_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_cma_helper.c
index 5f42e44b2ab3..6f18f143dd30 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_cma_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_cma_helper.c
@@ -67,18 +67,21 @@ __drm_gem_cma_create(struct drm_device *drm, size_t size, bool private)
 	struct drm_gem_object *gem_obj;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (drm->driver->gem_create_object)
+	if (drm->driver->gem_create_object) {
 		gem_obj = drm->driver->gem_create_object(drm, size);
-	else
-		gem_obj = kzalloc(sizeof(*cma_obj), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!gem_obj)
-		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+		if (IS_ERR(gem_obj))
+			return ERR_CAST(gem_obj);
+		cma_obj = to_drm_gem_cma_obj(gem_obj);
+	} else {
+		cma_obj = kzalloc(sizeof(*cma_obj), GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (!cma_obj)
+			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+		gem_obj = &cma_obj->base;
+	}
 
 	if (!gem_obj->funcs)
 		gem_obj->funcs = &drm_gem_cma_default_funcs;
 
-	cma_obj = container_of(gem_obj, struct drm_gem_cma_object, base);
-
 	if (private) {
 		drm_gem_private_object_init(drm, gem_obj, size);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_shmem_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_shmem_helper.c
index 0eeda1012364..7915047cb041 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_shmem_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_shmem_helper.c
@@ -56,14 +56,17 @@ __drm_gem_shmem_create(struct drm_device *dev, size_t size, bool private)
 
 	size = PAGE_ALIGN(size);
 
-	if (dev->driver->gem_create_object)
+	if (dev->driver->gem_create_object) {
 		obj = dev->driver->gem_create_object(dev, size);
-	else
-		obj = kzalloc(sizeof(*shmem), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!obj)
-		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-
-	shmem = to_drm_gem_shmem_obj(obj);
+		if (IS_ERR(obj))
+			return ERR_CAST(obj);
+		shmem = to_drm_gem_shmem_obj(obj);
+	} else {
+		shmem = kzalloc(sizeof(*shmem), GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (!shmem)
+			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+		obj = &shmem->base;
+	}
 
 	if (!obj->funcs)
 		obj->funcs = &drm_gem_shmem_funcs;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_vram_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_vram_helper.c
index bfa386b98134..3f00192215d1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_vram_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_vram_helper.c
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ struct drm_gem_vram_object *drm_gem_vram_create(struct drm_device *dev,
 
 	if (dev->driver->gem_create_object) {
 		gem = dev->driver->gem_create_object(dev, size);
-		if (!gem)
-			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+		if (IS_ERR(gem))
+			return ERR_CAST(gem);
 		gbo = drm_gem_vram_of_gem(gem);
 	} else {
 		gbo = kzalloc(sizeof(*gbo), GFP_KERNEL);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/lima/lima_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/lima/lima_gem.c
index 2723d333c608..f9a9198ef198 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/lima/lima_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/lima/lima_gem.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ struct drm_gem_object *lima_gem_create_object(struct drm_device *dev, size_t siz
 
 	bo = kzalloc(sizeof(*bo), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!bo)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	mutex_init(&bo->lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&bo->va);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/panfrost/panfrost_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/panfrost/panfrost_gem.c
index 6d9bdb9180cb..ead65f5fa2bc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/panfrost/panfrost_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/panfrost/panfrost_gem.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ struct drm_gem_object *panfrost_gem_create_object(struct drm_device *dev, size_t
 
 	obj = kzalloc(sizeof(*obj), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!obj)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&obj->mappings.list);
 	mutex_init(&obj->mappings.lock);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/v3d/v3d_bo.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/v3d/v3d_bo.c
index 0d9af62f69ad..6e3113f419f4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/v3d/v3d_bo.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/v3d/v3d_bo.c
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ struct drm_gem_object *v3d_create_object(struct drm_device *dev, size_t size)
 	struct drm_gem_object *obj;
 
 	if (size == 0)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	bo = kzalloc(sizeof(*bo), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!bo)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	obj = &bo->base.base;
 
 	obj->funcs = &v3d_gem_funcs;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vgem/vgem_drv.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vgem/vgem_drv.c
index a87eafa89e9f..c5e3e5457737 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vgem/vgem_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vgem/vgem_drv.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ static struct drm_gem_object *vgem_gem_create_object(struct drm_device *dev, siz
 
 	obj = kzalloc(sizeof(*obj), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!obj)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	/*
 	 * vgem doesn't have any begin/end cpu access ioctls, therefore must use
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_object.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_object.c
index 187e10da2f17..baef2c5f2aaf 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_object.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_object.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ struct drm_gem_object *virtio_gpu_create_object(struct drm_device *dev,
 
 	shmem = kzalloc(sizeof(*shmem), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!shmem)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	dshmem = &shmem->base.base;
 	dshmem->base.funcs = &virtio_gpu_shmem_funcs;
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_drv.h b/include/drm/drm_drv.h
index da0c836fe8e1..f6159acb8856 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_drv.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_drv.h
@@ -291,8 +291,9 @@ struct drm_driver {
 	/**
 	 * @gem_create_object: constructor for gem objects
 	 *
-	 * Hook for allocating the GEM object struct, for use by the CMA and
-	 * SHMEM GEM helpers.
+	 * Hook for allocating the GEM object struct, for use by the CMA
+	 * and SHMEM GEM helpers. Returns a GEM object on success, or an
+	 * ERR_PTR()-encoded error code otherwise.
 	 */
 	struct drm_gem_object *(*gem_create_object)(struct drm_device *dev,
 						    size_t size);