diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 800a0daede7e..321d0ceb26d3 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 				  static_command_line, __start___param,
 				  __stop___param - __start___param,
 				  -1, -1, &unknown_bootoption);
-	if (after_dashes)
+	if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(after_dashes))
 		parse_args("Setting init args", after_dashes, NULL, 0, -1, -1,
 			   set_init_arg);