diff --git a/include/sound/control.h b/include/sound/control.h
index c1659036c4a7..13511c50825f 100644
--- a/include/sound/control.h
+++ b/include/sound/control.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ struct snd_kcontrol {
 	unsigned long private_value;
 	void *private_data;
 	void (*private_free)(struct snd_kcontrol *kcontrol);
-	struct snd_kcontrol_volatile vd[];	/* volatile data */
+	struct snd_kcontrol_volatile vd[] __counted_by(count);	/* volatile data */
 };
 
 #define snd_kcontrol(n) list_entry(n, struct snd_kcontrol, list)
diff --git a/sound/core/control.c b/sound/core/control.c
index f64a555f404f..c3aad64ffbf5 100644
--- a/sound/core/control.c
+++ b/sound/core/control.c
@@ -237,11 +237,11 @@ static int snd_ctl_new(struct snd_kcontrol **kctl, unsigned int count,
 	if (!*kctl)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	(*kctl)->count = count;
 	for (idx = 0; idx < count; idx++) {
 		(*kctl)->vd[idx].access = access;
 		(*kctl)->vd[idx].owner = file;
 	}
-	(*kctl)->count = count;
 
 	return 0;
 }