diff --git a/payloads/libpayload/drivers/usb/usbmsc.c b/payloads/libpayload/drivers/usb/usbmsc.c
index d1e33022c3..ac1284129b 100644
--- a/payloads/libpayload/drivers/usb/usbmsc.c
+++ b/payloads/libpayload/drivers/usb/usbmsc.c
@@ -70,9 +70,11 @@ static const char *msc_protocol_strings[0x51] = {
 static void
 usb_msc_destroy (usbdev_t *dev)
 {
-	if (usbdisk_remove)
-		usbdisk_remove (dev);
-	free (dev->data);
+	if (dev->data) {
+		if (MSC_INST (dev)->usbdisk_created && usbdisk_remove)
+			usbdisk_remove (dev);
+		free (dev->data);
+	}
 	dev->data = 0;
 }
 
@@ -417,6 +419,9 @@ usb_msc_init (usbdev_t *dev)
 {
 	int i, timeout;
 
+	/* init .data before setting .destroy */
+	dev->data = NULL;
+
 	dev->destroy = usb_msc_destroy;
 	dev->poll = usb_msc_poll;
 
@@ -451,6 +456,7 @@ usb_msc_init (usbdev_t *dev)
 	MSC_INST (dev)->protocol = interface->bInterfaceSubClass;
 	MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_in = 0;
 	MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_out = 0;
+	MSC_INST (dev)->usbdisk_created = 0;
 
 	for (i = 1; i <= dev->num_endp; i++) {
 		if (dev->endpoints[i].endpoint == 0)
@@ -465,10 +471,14 @@ usb_msc_init (usbdev_t *dev)
 			MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_out = &dev->endpoints[i];
 	}
 
-	if (MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_in == 0)
-		fatal ("couldn't find bulk-in endpoint");
-	if (MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_out == 0)
-		fatal ("couldn't find bulk-out endpoint");
+	if (MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_in == 0) {
+		printf("couldn't find bulk-in endpoint");
+		return;
+	}
+	if (MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_out == 0) {
+		printf("couldn't find bulk-out endpoint");
+		return;
+	}
 	debug ("  using endpoint %x as in, %x as out\n",
 		MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_in->endpoint,
 		MSC_INST (dev)->bulk_out->endpoint);
@@ -514,6 +524,8 @@ usb_msc_init (usbdev_t *dev)
 	}
 	debug ("\n");
 
-	if ((read_capacity (dev) == MSC_COMMAND_OK) && usbdisk_create)
+	if ((read_capacity (dev) == MSC_COMMAND_OK) && usbdisk_create) {
 		usbdisk_create (dev);
+		MSC_INST (dev)->usbdisk_created = 1;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/payloads/libpayload/include/usb/usbmsc.h b/payloads/libpayload/include/usb/usbmsc.h
index b8a8ec13c9..fafa6f5979 100644
--- a/payloads/libpayload/include/usb/usbmsc.h
+++ b/payloads/libpayload/include/usb/usbmsc.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned int protocol;
 	endpoint_t *bulk_in;
 	endpoint_t *bulk_out;
+	int usbdisk_created;
 } usbmsc_inst_t;
 
 #define MSC_INST(dev) ((usbmsc_inst_t*)(dev)->data)