diff --git a/drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c b/drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c
index 48d74269f1d5..a6813e3393ec 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c
@@ -523,10 +523,17 @@ vcs_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf, size_t count, loff_t *ppos)
 			}
 		}
 
-		/* The vcs_size might have changed while we slept to grab
-		 * the user buffer, so recheck.
+		/* The vc might have been freed or vcs_size might have changed
+		 * while we slept to grab the user buffer, so recheck.
 		 * Return data written up to now on failure.
 		 */
+		vc = vcs_vc(inode, &viewed);
+		if (!vc) {
+			if (written)
+				break;
+			ret = -ENXIO;
+			goto unlock_out;
+		}
 		size = vcs_size(vc, attr, false);
 		if (size < 0) {
 			if (written)