Index: linux_2_4/drivers/net/3c509.c
diff -u linux_2_4/drivers/net/3c509.c:1.1.1.5 linux_2_4/drivers/net/3c509.c:1.1.1.3
--- linux_2_4/drivers/net/3c509.c:1.1.1.5	Tue Oct 31 13:21:47 2000
+++ linux_2_4/drivers/net/3c509.c	Sun Oct 22 13:29:58 2000
@@ -434,6 +436,13 @@
 	/* Free the interrupt so that some other card can use it. */
 	outw(0x0f00, ioaddr + WN0_IRQ);
  found:
+	if (dev == NULL) {
+		dev = init_etherdev(dev, sizeof(struct el3_private));
+		if (dev == NULL) {
+			release_region(ioaddr, EL3_IO_EXTENT);
+			return -ENOMEM;
+		}
+	}
 	memcpy(dev->dev_addr, phys_addr, sizeof(phys_addr));
 	dev->base_addr = ioaddr;
 	dev->irq = irq;