diff --git a/Documentation/dev-tools/checkpatch.rst b/Documentation/dev-tools/checkpatch.rst
index 4dccd1036870..84ccb52e120b 100644
--- a/Documentation/dev-tools/checkpatch.rst
+++ b/Documentation/dev-tools/checkpatch.rst
@@ -1009,6 +1009,29 @@ Functions and Variables
 
       return bar;
 
+  **UNINITIALIZED_PTR_WITH_FREE**
+    Pointers with __free attribute should be declared at the place of use
+    and initialized (see include/linux/cleanup.h). In this case
+    declarations at the top of the function rule can be relaxed. Not doing
+    so may lead to undefined behavior as the memory assigned (garbage,
+    in case not initialized) to the pointer is freed automatically when
+    the pointer goes out of scope.
+
+    Also see: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/58fd478f408a34b578ee8d949c5c4b4da4d4f41d.camel@HansenPartnership.com/
+
+    Example::
+
+      type var __free(free_func);
+      ... // var not used, but, in future someone might add a return here
+      var = malloc(var_size);
+      ...
+
+    should be initialized as::
+
+      ...
+      type var __free(free_func) = malloc(var_size);
+      ...
+
 
 Permissions
 -----------
diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index d58ca9655ab7..c0250244cf7a 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -7732,6 +7732,12 @@ sub process {
 				ERROR("MISSING_SENTINEL", "missing sentinel in ID array\n" . "$here\n$stat\n");
 			}
 		}
+
+# check for uninitialized pointers with __free attribute
+		while ($line =~ /\*\s*($Ident)\s+__free\s*\(\s*$Ident\s*\)\s*[,;]/g) {
+			ERROR("UNINITIALIZED_PTR_WITH_FREE",
+			      "pointer '$1' with __free attribute should be initialized\n" . $herecurr);
+		}
 	}
 
 	# If we have no input at all, then there is nothing to report on