diff --git a/board/freescale/b4860qds/b4860qds.c b/board/freescale/b4860qds/b4860qds.c
index 9d6b9a7..34d66d5 100644
--- a/board/freescale/b4860qds/b4860qds.c
+++ b/board/freescale/b4860qds/b4860qds.c
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@
 int board_early_init_r(void)
 {
 	const unsigned int flashbase = CONFIG_SYS_FLASH_BASE;
-	const u8 flash_esel = find_tlb_idx((void *)flashbase, 1);
+	int flash_esel = find_tlb_idx((void *)flashbase, 1);
 	int ret;
 
 	/*
@@ -925,8 +925,14 @@
 	flush_dcache();
 	invalidate_icache();
 
-	/* invalidate existing TLB entry for flash + promjet */
-	disable_tlb(flash_esel);
+	if (flash_esel == -1) {
+		/* very unlikely unless something is messed up */
+		puts("Error: Could not find TLB for FLASH BASE\n");
+		flash_esel = 2;	/* give our best effort to continue */
+	} else {
+		/* invalidate existing TLB entry for flash + promjet */
+		disable_tlb(flash_esel);
+	}
 
 	set_tlb(1, flashbase, CONFIG_SYS_FLASH_BASE_PHYS,
 			MAS3_SX|MAS3_SW|MAS3_SR, MAS2_I|MAS2_G,