diff --git a/net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c b/net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c
index 0c76dcde5361..dd21fee1d7c6 100644
--- a/net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c
+++ b/net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c
@@ -899,8 +899,8 @@ static int hci_conn_hash_alloc_unset(struct hci_dev *hdev)
 			       U16_MAX, GFP_ATOMIC);
 }
 
-struct hci_conn *hci_conn_add(struct hci_dev *hdev, int type, bdaddr_t *dst,
-			      u8 role, u16 handle)
+static struct hci_conn *__hci_conn_add(struct hci_dev *hdev, int type, bdaddr_t *dst,
+				       u8 role, u16 handle)
 {
 	struct hci_conn *conn;
 
@@ -1044,6 +1044,15 @@ struct hci_conn *hci_conn_add_unset(struct hci_dev *hdev, int type,
 	return hci_conn_add(hdev, type, dst, role, handle);
 }
 
+struct hci_conn *hci_conn_add(struct hci_dev *hdev, int type, bdaddr_t *dst,
+			      u8 role, u16 handle)
+{
+	if (handle > HCI_CONN_HANDLE_MAX)
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+
+	return __hci_conn_add(hdev, type, dst, role, handle);
+}
+
 static void hci_conn_cleanup_child(struct hci_conn *conn, u8 reason)
 {
 	if (!reason)