diff --git a/grub-core/kern/mips/arc/init.c b/grub-core/kern/mips/arc/init.c
index 2ed3ff319..2b76988c7 100644
--- a/grub-core/kern/mips/arc/init.c
+++ b/grub-core/kern/mips/arc/init.c
@@ -403,6 +403,9 @@ grub_machine_get_bootlocation (char **device, char **path)
       if (!syspart)
 	return;
       loaddev = grub_strdup (syspart);
+      if (loaddev == NULL)
+        return;
+
     }
 
   partptr = get_part (loaddev);