diff --git a/mm/numa_emulation.c b/mm/numa_emulation.c
index 703c8fa05048..55f26b22bb0b 100644
--- a/mm/numa_emulation.c
+++ b/mm/numa_emulation.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ static u64 uniform_size(u64 max_addr, u64 base, u64 hole, int nr_nodes)
  * Sets up fake nodes of `size' interleaved over physical nodes ranging from
  * `addr' to `max_addr'.
  *
- * Returns zero on success or negative on error.
+ * Returns node ID of the next node on success or negative error code.
  */
 static int __init split_nodes_size_interleave_uniform(struct numa_meminfo *ei,
 					      struct numa_meminfo *pi,
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ void __init numa_emulation(struct numa_meminfo *numa_meminfo, int numa_dist_cnt)
 	 */
 	if (strchr(emu_cmdline, 'U')) {
 		unsigned long n;
-		int nid = 0;
+		int nid = 0, nr_created;
 
 		n = simple_strtoul(emu_cmdline, &emu_cmdline, 0);
 		ret = -1;
@@ -416,9 +416,18 @@ void __init numa_emulation(struct numa_meminfo *numa_meminfo, int numa_dist_cnt)
 					n, &pi.blk[0], nid);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				break;
-			if (ret < n) {
+
+			/*
+			 * If no memory was found for this physical node,
+			 * skip the under-allocation check.
+			 */
+			if (ret == nid)
+				continue;
+
+			nr_created = ret - nid;
+			if (nr_created < n) {
 				pr_info("%s: phys: %d only got %d of %ld nodes, failing\n",
-						__func__, i, ret, n);
+						__func__, i, nr_created, n);
 				ret = -1;
 				break;
 			}