diff --git a/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_sysfs.c b/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_sysfs.c
index 7ec30ded0169..8d9662e8b717 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_sysfs.c
@@ -216,10 +216,22 @@ static ssize_t zfcp_sysfs_port_rescan_store(struct device *dev,
 {
 	struct ccw_device *cdev = to_ccwdev(dev);
 	struct zfcp_adapter *adapter = zfcp_ccw_adapter_by_cdev(cdev);
+	int retval = 0;
 
 	if (!adapter)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	/*
+	 * If `scsi_host` is missing, we can't schedule `scan_work`, as it
+	 * makes use of the corresponding fc_host object. But this state is
+	 * only possible if xconfig/xport data has never completed yet,
+	 * and we couldn't successfully scan for ports anyway.
+	 */
+	if (adapter->scsi_host == NULL) {
+		retval = -ENODEV;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Users wish is our command: immediately schedule and flush a
 	 * worker to conduct a synchronous port scan, that is, neither
@@ -227,9 +239,9 @@ static ssize_t zfcp_sysfs_port_rescan_store(struct device *dev,
 	 */
 	queue_delayed_work(adapter->work_queue, &adapter->scan_work, 0);
 	flush_delayed_work(&adapter->scan_work);
+out:
 	zfcp_ccw_adapter_put(adapter);
-
-	return (ssize_t) count;
+	return retval ? retval : (ssize_t) count;
 }
 static ZFCP_DEV_ATTR(adapter, port_rescan, S_IWUSR, NULL,
 		     zfcp_sysfs_port_rescan_store);