diff --git a/include/trace/ftrace.h b/include/trace/ftrace.h
index 52594b2..d17a35c 100644
--- a/include/trace/ftrace.h
+++ b/include/trace/ftrace.h
@@ -372,7 +372,8 @@
 	__data_size += (len) * sizeof(type);
 
 #undef __string
-#define __string(item, src) __dynamic_array(char, item, strlen(src) + 1)
+#define __string(item, src) __dynamic_array(char, item,			\
+		    strlen((src) ? (const char *)(src) : "(null)") + 1)
 
 #undef DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS
 #define DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(call, proto, args, tstruct, assign, print)	\
@@ -501,7 +502,7 @@
 
 #undef __assign_str
 #define __assign_str(dst, src)						\
-	strcpy(__get_str(dst), src);
+	strcpy(__get_str(dst), (src) ? (const char *)(src) : "(null)");
 
 #undef TP_fast_assign
 #define TP_fast_assign(args...) args
diff --git a/kernel/trace/ftrace.c b/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
index 22fa556..0e9f9ea 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
@@ -367,9 +367,6 @@
 
 static int __register_ftrace_function(struct ftrace_ops *ops)
 {
-	if (unlikely(ftrace_disabled))
-		return -ENODEV;
-
 	if (FTRACE_WARN_ON(ops == &global_ops))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -428,9 +425,6 @@
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	if (ftrace_disabled)
-		return -ENODEV;
-
 	if (WARN_ON(!(ops->flags & FTRACE_OPS_FL_ENABLED)))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
@@ -2088,10 +2082,15 @@
 static int ftrace_startup(struct ftrace_ops *ops, int command)
 {
 	bool hash_enable = true;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (unlikely(ftrace_disabled))
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	ret = __register_ftrace_function(ops);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
 	ftrace_start_up++;
 	command |= FTRACE_UPDATE_CALLS;
 
@@ -2113,12 +2112,17 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void ftrace_shutdown(struct ftrace_ops *ops, int command)
+static int ftrace_shutdown(struct ftrace_ops *ops, int command)
 {
 	bool hash_disable = true;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (unlikely(ftrace_disabled))
-		return;
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	ret = __unregister_ftrace_function(ops);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	ftrace_start_up--;
 	/*
@@ -2153,9 +2157,10 @@
 	}
 
 	if (!command || !ftrace_enabled)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 
 	ftrace_run_update_code(command);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void ftrace_startup_sysctl(void)
@@ -3060,16 +3065,13 @@
 	if (i == FTRACE_FUNC_HASHSIZE)
 		return;
 
-	ret = __register_ftrace_function(&trace_probe_ops);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = ftrace_startup(&trace_probe_ops, 0);
+	ret = ftrace_startup(&trace_probe_ops, 0);
 
 	ftrace_probe_registered = 1;
 }
 
 static void __disable_ftrace_function_probe(void)
 {
-	int ret;
 	int i;
 
 	if (!ftrace_probe_registered)
@@ -3082,9 +3084,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* no more funcs left */
-	ret = __unregister_ftrace_function(&trace_probe_ops);
-	if (!ret)
-		ftrace_shutdown(&trace_probe_ops, 0);
+	ftrace_shutdown(&trace_probe_ops, 0);
 
 	ftrace_probe_registered = 0;
 }
@@ -4366,12 +4366,15 @@
 static inline int ftrace_init_dyn_debugfs(struct dentry *d_tracer) { return 0; }
 static inline void ftrace_startup_enable(int command) { }
 /* Keep as macros so we do not need to define the commands */
-# define ftrace_startup(ops, command)			\
-	({						\
-		(ops)->flags |= FTRACE_OPS_FL_ENABLED;	\
-		0;					\
+# define ftrace_startup(ops, command)					\
+	({								\
+		int ___ret = __register_ftrace_function(ops);		\
+		if (!___ret)						\
+			(ops)->flags |= FTRACE_OPS_FL_ENABLED;		\
+		___ret;							\
 	})
-# define ftrace_shutdown(ops, command)	do { } while (0)
+# define ftrace_shutdown(ops, command) __unregister_ftrace_function(ops)
+
 # define ftrace_startup_sysctl()	do { } while (0)
 # define ftrace_shutdown_sysctl()	do { } while (0)
 
@@ -4780,9 +4783,7 @@
 
 	mutex_lock(&ftrace_lock);
 
-	ret = __register_ftrace_function(ops);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = ftrace_startup(ops, 0);
+	ret = ftrace_startup(ops, 0);
 
 	mutex_unlock(&ftrace_lock);
 
@@ -4801,9 +4802,7 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	mutex_lock(&ftrace_lock);
-	ret = __unregister_ftrace_function(ops);
-	if (!ret)
-		ftrace_shutdown(ops, 0);
+	ret = ftrace_shutdown(ops, 0);
 	mutex_unlock(&ftrace_lock);
 
 	return ret;
@@ -4997,6 +4996,13 @@
 	return NOTIFY_DONE;
 }
 
+/* Just a place holder for function graph */
+static struct ftrace_ops fgraph_ops __read_mostly = {
+	.func		= ftrace_stub,
+	.flags		= FTRACE_OPS_FL_STUB | FTRACE_OPS_FL_GLOBAL |
+				FTRACE_OPS_FL_RECURSION_SAFE,
+};
+
 int register_ftrace_graph(trace_func_graph_ret_t retfunc,
 			trace_func_graph_ent_t entryfunc)
 {
@@ -5023,7 +5029,7 @@
 	ftrace_graph_return = retfunc;
 	ftrace_graph_entry = entryfunc;
 
-	ret = ftrace_startup(&global_ops, FTRACE_START_FUNC_RET);
+	ret = ftrace_startup(&fgraph_ops, FTRACE_START_FUNC_RET);
 
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&ftrace_lock);
@@ -5040,7 +5046,7 @@
 	ftrace_graph_active--;
 	ftrace_graph_return = (trace_func_graph_ret_t)ftrace_stub;
 	ftrace_graph_entry = ftrace_graph_entry_stub;
-	ftrace_shutdown(&global_ops, FTRACE_STOP_FUNC_RET);
+	ftrace_shutdown(&fgraph_ops, FTRACE_STOP_FUNC_RET);
 	unregister_pm_notifier(&ftrace_suspend_notifier);
 	unregister_trace_sched_switch(ftrace_graph_probe_sched_switch, NULL);