diff --git a/init/initramfs.c b/init/initramfs.c
index 4c00edc5968..b37d34beb90 100644
--- a/init/initramfs.c
+++ b/init/initramfs.c
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ static unsigned my_inptr;   /* index of next byte to be processed in inbuf */
 
 static char * __init unpack_to_rootfs(char *buf, unsigned len)
 {
-	int written;
+	int written, res;
 	decompress_fn decompress;
 	const char *compress_name;
 	static __initdata char msg_buf[64];
@@ -445,10 +445,12 @@ static char * __init unpack_to_rootfs(char *buf, unsigned len)
 		}
 		this_header = 0;
 		decompress = decompress_method(buf, len, &compress_name);
-		if (decompress)
-			decompress(buf, len, NULL, flush_buffer, NULL,
+		if (decompress) {
+			res = decompress(buf, len, NULL, flush_buffer, NULL,
 				   &my_inptr, error);
-		else if (compress_name) {
+			if (res)
+				error("decompressor failed");
+		} else if (compress_name) {
 			if (!message) {
 				snprintf(msg_buf, sizeof msg_buf,
 					 "compression method %s not configured",