diff --git a/lib/kobject.c b/lib/kobject.c
index 03d4ab349fa7..3b841b97fccd 100644
--- a/lib/kobject.c
+++ b/lib/kobject.c
@@ -576,8 +576,13 @@ void kobject_del(struct kobject *kobj)
  */
 struct kobject *kobject_get(struct kobject *kobj)
 {
-	if (kobj)
+	if (kobj) {
+		if (!kobj->state_initialized)
+			WARN(1, KERN_WARNING "kobject: '%s' (%p): is not "
+			       "initialized, yet kobject_get() is being "
+			       "called.\n", kobject_name(kobj), kobj);
 		kref_get(&kobj->kref);
+	}
 	return kobj;
 }