diff --git a/drivers/isdn/gigaset/common.c b/drivers/isdn/gigaset/common.c
index 95eff3b2917..4f75cce6fdf 100644
--- a/drivers/isdn/gigaset/common.c
+++ b/drivers/isdn/gigaset/common.c
@@ -356,16 +356,17 @@ static struct cardstate *alloc_cs(struct gigaset_driver *drv)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
 	unsigned i;
-	static struct cardstate *ret = NULL;
+	struct cardstate *ret = NULL;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&drv->lock, flags);
 	for (i = 0; i < drv->minors; ++i) {
 		if (!(drv->flags[i] & VALID_MINOR)) {
-			drv->flags[i] = VALID_MINOR;
-			ret = drv->cs + i;
-		}
-		if (ret)
+			if (try_module_get(drv->owner)) {
+				drv->flags[i] = VALID_MINOR;
+				ret = drv->cs + i;
+			}
 			break;
+		}
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&drv->lock, flags);
 	return ret;
@@ -376,6 +377,8 @@ static void free_cs(struct cardstate *cs)
 	unsigned long flags;
 	struct gigaset_driver *drv = cs->driver;
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&drv->lock, flags);
+	if (drv->flags[cs->minor_index] & VALID_MINOR)
+		module_put(drv->owner);
 	drv->flags[cs->minor_index] = 0;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&drv->lock, flags);
 }
@@ -579,7 +582,7 @@ static struct bc_state *gigaset_initbcs(struct bc_state *bcs,
 	} else if ((bcs->skb = dev_alloc_skb(SBUFSIZE + HW_HDR_LEN)) != NULL)
 		skb_reserve(bcs->skb, HW_HDR_LEN);
 	else {
-		warn("could not allocate skb\n");
+		warn("could not allocate skb");
 		bcs->inputstate |= INS_skip_frame;
 	}
 
@@ -632,17 +635,25 @@ struct cardstate *gigaset_initcs(struct gigaset_driver *drv, int channels,
 	int i;
 
 	gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating cs");
-	cs = alloc_cs(drv);
-	if (!cs)
-		goto error;
+	if (!(cs = alloc_cs(drv))) {
+		err("maximum number of devices exceeded");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	mutex_init(&cs->mutex);
+	mutex_lock(&cs->mutex);
+
 	gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating bcs[0..%d]", channels - 1);
 	cs->bcs = kmalloc(channels * sizeof(struct bc_state), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!cs->bcs)
+	if (!cs->bcs) {
+		err("out of memory");
 		goto error;
+	}
 	gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "allocating inbuf");
 	cs->inbuf = kmalloc(sizeof(struct inbuf_t), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!cs->inbuf)
+	if (!cs->inbuf) {
+		err("out of memory");
 		goto error;
+	}
 
 	cs->cs_init = 0;
 	cs->channels = channels;
@@ -654,8 +665,6 @@ struct cardstate *gigaset_initcs(struct gigaset_driver *drv, int channels,
 	spin_lock_init(&cs->ev_lock);
 	cs->ev_tail = 0;
 	cs->ev_head = 0;
-	mutex_init(&cs->mutex);
-	mutex_lock(&cs->mutex);
 
 	tasklet_init(&cs->event_tasklet, &gigaset_handle_event,
 		     (unsigned long) cs);
@@ -684,8 +693,10 @@ struct cardstate *gigaset_initcs(struct gigaset_driver *drv, int channels,
 
 	for (i = 0; i < channels; ++i) {
 		gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "setting up bcs[%d].read", i);
-		if (!gigaset_initbcs(cs->bcs + i, cs, i))
+		if (!gigaset_initbcs(cs->bcs + i, cs, i)) {
+			err("could not allocate channel %d data", i);
 			goto error;
+		}
 	}
 
 	++cs->cs_init;
@@ -720,8 +731,10 @@ struct cardstate *gigaset_initcs(struct gigaset_driver *drv, int channels,
 	make_valid(cs, VALID_ID);
 	++cs->cs_init;
 	gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "setting up hw");
-	if (!cs->ops->initcshw(cs))
+	if (!cs->ops->initcshw(cs)) {
+		err("could not allocate device specific data");
 		goto error;
+	}
 
 	++cs->cs_init;
 
@@ -743,8 +756,8 @@ struct cardstate *gigaset_initcs(struct gigaset_driver *drv, int channels,
 	mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
 	return cs;
 
-error:	if (cs)
-		mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
+error:
+	mutex_unlock(&cs->mutex);
 	gig_dbg(DEBUG_INIT, "failed");
 	gigaset_freecs(cs);
 	return NULL;
@@ -1040,7 +1053,6 @@ void gigaset_freedriver(struct gigaset_driver *drv)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&driver_lock, flags);
 
 	gigaset_if_freedriver(drv);
-	module_put(drv->owner);
 
 	kfree(drv->cs);
 	kfree(drv->flags);
@@ -1072,10 +1084,6 @@ struct gigaset_driver *gigaset_initdriver(unsigned minor, unsigned minors,
 	if (!drv)
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (!try_module_get(owner))
-		goto out1;
-
-	drv->cs = NULL;
 	drv->have_tty = 0;
 	drv->minor = minor;
 	drv->minors = minors;
@@ -1087,11 +1095,11 @@ struct gigaset_driver *gigaset_initdriver(unsigned minor, unsigned minors,
 
 	drv->cs = kmalloc(minors * sizeof *drv->cs, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!drv->cs)
-		goto out2;
+		goto error;
 
 	drv->flags = kmalloc(minors * sizeof *drv->flags, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!drv->flags)
-		goto out3;
+		goto error;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < minors; ++i) {
 		drv->flags[i] = 0;
@@ -1108,11 +1116,8 @@ struct gigaset_driver *gigaset_initdriver(unsigned minor, unsigned minors,
 
 	return drv;
 
-out3:
+error:
 	kfree(drv->cs);
-out2:
-	module_put(owner);
-out1:
 	kfree(drv);
 	return NULL;
 }