diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/daemon_kern.c b/arch/um/drivers/daemon_kern.c
index 30d285b266af..507e3cbac9d3 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/daemon_kern.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/daemon_kern.c
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ void daemon_init(struct net_device *dev, void *data)
 	dpri->fd = -1;
 	dpri->control = -1;
 	dpri->dev = dev;
+	/* We will free this pointer. If it contains crap we're burned. */
+	dpri->ctl_addr = NULL;
+	dpri->data_addr = NULL;
+	dpri->local_addr = NULL;
 
 	printk("daemon backend (uml_switch version %d) - %s:%s", 
 	       SWITCH_VERSION, dpri->sock_type, dpri->ctl_sock);
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/daemon_user.c b/arch/um/drivers/daemon_user.c
index 1bb085b2824d..c944265955e2 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/daemon_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/daemon_user.c
@@ -158,10 +158,16 @@ static void daemon_remove(void *data)
 	struct daemon_data *pri = data;
 
 	os_close_file(pri->fd);
+	pri->fd = -1;
 	os_close_file(pri->control);
+	pri->control = -1;
+
 	kfree(pri->data_addr);
+	pri->data_addr = NULL;
 	kfree(pri->ctl_addr);
+	pri->ctl_addr = NULL;
 	kfree(pri->local_addr);
+	pri->local_addr = NULL;
 }
 
 int daemon_user_write(int fd, void *buf, int len, struct daemon_data *pri)