diff --git a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
index 56ff4c5fa955..3337080bb1c1 100644
--- a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
+++ b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ fw_open (dev_t dev, int flags, int fmt, fw_proc *td)
 {
 	int err = 0;
 
-	if (dev->si_drv1 != NULL)
-		return (EBUSY);
-
 	if (DEV_FWMEM(dev))
 		return fwmem_open(dev, flags, fmt, td);
 
+	if (dev->si_drv1 != NULL)
+		return (EBUSY);
+
 #if __FreeBSD_version >= 500000
 	if ((dev->si_flags & SI_NAMED) == 0) {
 		int unit = DEV2UNIT(dev);