diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_io.c b/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
index 0c150b5a9dd6..49abf04c90b2 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_io.c
@@ -1083,7 +1083,10 @@ static struct tty_struct *tty_driver_lookup_tty(struct tty_driver *driver,
 	struct tty_struct *tty;
 
 	if (driver->ops->lookup)
-		tty = driver->ops->lookup(driver, file, idx);
+		if (!file)
+			tty = ERR_PTR(-EIO);
+		else
+			tty = driver->ops->lookup(driver, file, idx);
 	else
 		tty = driver->ttys[idx];
 
@@ -1715,7 +1718,7 @@ static struct tty_driver *tty_lookup_driver(dev_t device, struct file *filp,
 		struct tty_driver *console_driver = console_device(index);
 		if (console_driver) {
 			driver = tty_driver_kref_get(console_driver);
-			if (driver) {
+			if (driver && filp) {
 				/* Don't let /dev/console block */
 				filp->f_flags |= O_NONBLOCK;
 				break;
@@ -1748,7 +1751,7 @@ static struct tty_driver *tty_lookup_driver(dev_t device, struct file *filp,
  *	  - concurrent tty driver removal w/ lookup
  *	  - concurrent tty removal from driver table
  */
-static struct tty_struct *tty_open_by_driver(dev_t device, struct inode *inode,
+struct tty_struct *tty_open_by_driver(dev_t device, struct inode *inode,
 					     struct file *filp)
 {
 	struct tty_struct *tty;
@@ -1793,6 +1796,7 @@ static struct tty_struct *tty_open_by_driver(dev_t device, struct inode *inode,
 	tty_driver_kref_put(driver);
 	return tty;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(tty_open_by_driver);
 
 /**
  *	tty_open		-	open a tty device
diff --git a/include/linux/tty.h b/include/linux/tty.h
index d07cd2105a6c..c9f9fd2c4eef 100644
--- a/include/linux/tty.h
+++ b/include/linux/tty.h
@@ -400,6 +400,8 @@ extern struct tty_struct *get_current_tty(void);
 /* tty_io.c */
 extern int __init tty_init(void);
 extern const char *tty_name(const struct tty_struct *tty);
+extern struct tty_struct *tty_open_by_driver(dev_t device, struct inode *inode,
+		struct file *filp);
 #else
 static inline void tty_kref_put(struct tty_struct *tty)
 { }