diff --git a/sound/core/control.c b/sound/core/control.c
index 9c3fd5113a61..486d1bc4dac2 100644
--- a/sound/core/control.c
+++ b/sound/core/control.c
@@ -867,9 +867,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(snd_ctl_find_id);
 static int snd_ctl_card_info(struct snd_card *card, struct snd_ctl_file * ctl,
 			     unsigned int cmd, void __user *arg)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_card_info *info __free(kfree) = NULL;
+	struct snd_ctl_card_info *info __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*info), GFP_KERNEL);
 
-	info = kzalloc(sizeof(*info), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (! info)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	scoped_guard(rwsem_read, &snd_ioctl_rwsem) {
@@ -1244,10 +1244,10 @@ static int snd_ctl_elem_read(struct snd_card *card,
 static int snd_ctl_elem_read_user(struct snd_card *card,
 				  struct snd_ctl_elem_value __user *_control)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *control __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	int result;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *control __free(kfree) =
+		memdup_user(_control, sizeof(*control));
 
-	control = memdup_user(_control, sizeof(*control));
 	if (IS_ERR(control))
 		return PTR_ERR(control);
 
@@ -1320,11 +1320,11 @@ static int snd_ctl_elem_write(struct snd_card *card, struct snd_ctl_file *file,
 static int snd_ctl_elem_write_user(struct snd_ctl_file *file,
 				   struct snd_ctl_elem_value __user *_control)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *control __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	struct snd_card *card;
 	int result;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *control __free(kfree) =
+		memdup_user(_control, sizeof(*control));
 
-	control = memdup_user(_control, sizeof(*control));
 	if (IS_ERR(control))
 		return PTR_ERR(control);
 
diff --git a/sound/core/control_compat.c b/sound/core/control_compat.c
index 6459809ed364..b8988a4bcd9b 100644
--- a/sound/core/control_compat.c
+++ b/sound/core/control_compat.c
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ static int snd_ctl_elem_info_compat(struct snd_ctl_file *ctl,
 				    struct snd_ctl_elem_info32 __user *data32)
 {
 	struct snd_card *card = ctl->card;
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *data __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	int err;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *data __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 
-	data = kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (! data)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -169,14 +169,15 @@ static int get_ctl_type(struct snd_card *card, struct snd_ctl_elem_id *id,
 			int *countp)
 {
 	struct snd_kcontrol *kctl;
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *info __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	int err;
 
 	guard(rwsem_read)(&card->controls_rwsem);
 	kctl = snd_ctl_find_id(card, id);
 	if (!kctl)
 		return -ENOENT;
-	info = kzalloc(sizeof(*info), GFP_KERNEL);
+
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *info __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*info), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (info == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	info->id = *id;
@@ -280,10 +281,10 @@ static int copy_ctl_value_to_user(void __user *userdata,
 static int __ctl_elem_read_user(struct snd_card *card,
 				void __user *userdata, void __user *valuep)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *data __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	int err, type, count;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *data __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 
-	data = kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (data == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -314,11 +315,11 @@ static int ctl_elem_read_user(struct snd_card *card,
 static int __ctl_elem_write_user(struct snd_ctl_file *file,
 				 void __user *userdata, void __user *valuep)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *data __free(kfree) = NULL;
 	struct snd_card *card = file->card;
 	int err, type, count;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_value *data __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 
-	data = kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (data == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -378,9 +379,9 @@ static int snd_ctl_elem_add_compat(struct snd_ctl_file *file,
 				   struct snd_ctl_elem_info32 __user *data32,
 				   int replace)
 {
-	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *data __free(kfree) = NULL;
+	struct snd_ctl_elem_info *data __free(kfree) =
+		kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 
-	data = kzalloc(sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (! data)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
diff --git a/sound/core/control_led.c b/sound/core/control_led.c
index e33dfcf863cf..c7641d5084e7 100644
--- a/sound/core/control_led.c
+++ b/sound/core/control_led.c
@@ -245,12 +245,12 @@ DEFINE_FREE(snd_card_unref, struct snd_card *, if (_T) snd_card_unref(_T))
 static int snd_ctl_led_set_id(int card_number, struct snd_ctl_elem_id *id,
 			      unsigned int group, bool set)
 {
-	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) = NULL;
 	struct snd_kcontrol *kctl;
 	struct snd_kcontrol_volatile *vd;
 	unsigned int ioff, access, new_access;
+	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) =
+		snd_card_ref(card_number);
 
-	card = snd_card_ref(card_number);
 	if (!card)
 		return -ENXIO;
 	guard(rwsem_write)(&card->controls_rwsem);
@@ -302,13 +302,13 @@ static void snd_ctl_led_clean(struct snd_card *card)
 
 static int snd_ctl_led_reset(int card_number, unsigned int group)
 {
-	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) = NULL;
 	struct snd_ctl_led_ctl *lctl, *_lctl;
 	struct snd_ctl_led *led;
 	struct snd_kcontrol_volatile *vd;
 	bool change = false;
+	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) =
+		snd_card_ref(card_number);
 
-	card = snd_card_ref(card_number);
 	if (!card)
 		return -ENXIO;
 
@@ -598,11 +598,11 @@ static ssize_t list_show(struct device *dev,
 			 struct device_attribute *attr, char *buf)
 {
 	struct snd_ctl_led_card *led_card = container_of(dev, struct snd_ctl_led_card, dev);
-	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) = NULL;
 	struct snd_ctl_led_ctl *lctl;
 	size_t l = 0;
+	struct snd_card *card __free(snd_card_unref) =
+		snd_card_ref(led_card->number);
 
-	card = snd_card_ref(led_card->number);
 	if (!card)
 		return -ENXIO;
 	guard(rwsem_read)(&card->controls_rwsem);