diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-ctrls-core.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-ctrls-core.c
index 209bc05883bb..1d4b5859f0e2 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-ctrls-core.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-ctrls-core.c
@@ -2780,7 +2780,8 @@ int v4l2_ctrl_new_fwnode_properties(struct v4l2_ctrl_handler *hdl,
 			orientation_ctrl = V4L2_CAMERA_ORIENTATION_EXTERNAL;
 			break;
 		default:
-			return -EINVAL;
+			hdl->error = -EINVAL;
+			return hdl->error;
 		}
 		if (!v4l2_ctrl_new_std_menu(hdl, ctrl_ops,
 					    V4L2_CID_CAMERA_ORIENTATION,
diff --git a/include/media/v4l2-ctrls.h b/include/media/v4l2-ctrls.h
index 31fc1bee3797..327976b14d50 100644
--- a/include/media/v4l2-ctrls.h
+++ b/include/media/v4l2-ctrls.h
@@ -1581,6 +1581,9 @@ int v4l2_ctrl_subdev_log_status(struct v4l2_subdev *sd);
  * not overwritten. Callers should register the controls they want to handle
  * themselves before calling this function.
  *
+ * This function will set the control handler's error field on failure, just as
+ * other functions adding controls to the handler.
+ *
  * Return: 0 on success, a negative error code on failure.
  */
 int v4l2_ctrl_new_fwnode_properties(struct v4l2_ctrl_handler *hdl,