diff --git a/include/linux/liveupdate.h b/include/linux/liveupdate.h
index c344bf987b63..63ea5417de84 100644
--- a/include/linux/liveupdate.h
+++ b/include/linux/liveupdate.h
@@ -173,7 +173,9 @@ struct liveupdate_flb_ops {
  * @lock:      A mutex that protects all fields within this structure, providing
  *             the synchronization service for the FLB's ops.
  * @finished:  True once the FLB's finish() callback has run.
- * @retrieved: True once the FLB's retrieve() callback has run.
+ * @retrieve_status: Status code indicating whether retrieve() has been
+ *                   attempted. 0 means not attempted, 1 means successful,
+ *                   and negative value means it failed with that error code.
  */
 struct luo_flb_private_state {
 	refcount_t count;
@@ -181,7 +183,7 @@ struct luo_flb_private_state {
 	void *obj;
 	struct mutex lock;
 	bool finished;
-	bool retrieved;
+	int retrieve_status;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/kernel/liveupdate/luo_flb.c b/kernel/liveupdate/luo_flb.c
index 02b449e1e98b..cd715a7c1d99 100644
--- a/kernel/liveupdate/luo_flb.c
+++ b/kernel/liveupdate/luo_flb.c
@@ -168,7 +168,10 @@ static int luo_flb_retrieve_one(struct liveupdate_flb *flb)
 	if (private->incoming.finished)
 		return -ENODATA;
 
-	if (private->incoming.retrieved)
+	if (private->incoming.retrieve_status < 0)
+		return private->incoming.retrieve_status;
+
+	if (private->incoming.retrieve_status > 0)
 		return 0;
 
 	if (!fh->active)
@@ -194,12 +197,13 @@ static int luo_flb_retrieve_one(struct liveupdate_flb *flb)
 
 	err = flb->ops->retrieve(&args);
 	if (err) {
+		private->incoming.retrieve_status = err;
 		module_put(flb->ops->owner);
 		return err;
 	}
 
 	private->incoming.obj = args.obj;
-	private->incoming.retrieved = true;
+	private->incoming.retrieve_status = 1;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -213,7 +217,7 @@ void liveupdate_flb_put_incoming(struct liveupdate_flb *flb)
 		if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&private->incoming.count))
 			return;
 
-		if (!private->incoming.retrieved) {
+		if (private->incoming.retrieve_status <= 0) {
 			int err = luo_flb_retrieve_one(flb);
 
 			if (WARN_ON(err))