diff --git a/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.cpp b/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.cpp
index 4f0b3da42f..8d3dff897a 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.cpp
@@ -13,21 +13,15 @@ extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::DetectedModules AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::_detected_modules[];
 HAL_Semaphore AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::_sem_registry;
 
-void AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::subscribe_msgs(AP_DroneCAN* ap_dronecan)
+bool AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::subscribe_msgs(AP_DroneCAN* ap_dronecan)
 {
-    if (ap_dronecan == nullptr) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (Canard::allocate_sub_arg_callback(ap_dronecan, &handle_airspeed, ap_dronecan->get_driver_index()) == nullptr) {
-        AP_BoardConfig::allocation_error("airspeed_sub");
-    }
+    const auto driver_index = ap_dronecan->get_driver_index();
 
+    return (Canard::allocate_sub_arg_callback(ap_dronecan, &handle_airspeed, driver_index) != nullptr)
 #if AP_AIRSPEED_HYGROMETER_ENABLE
-    if (Canard::allocate_sub_arg_callback(ap_dronecan, &handle_hygrometer, ap_dronecan->get_driver_index()) == nullptr) {
-        AP_BoardConfig::allocation_error("hygrometer_sub");
-    }
+        && (Canard::allocate_sub_arg_callback(ap_dronecan, &handle_hygrometer, driver_index) != nullptr)
 #endif
+    ;
 }
 
 AP_Airspeed_Backend* AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN::probe(AP_Airspeed &_frontend, uint8_t _instance, uint32_t previous_devid)
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.h b/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.h
index 2167f9f061..7d92c27f95 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Airspeed/AP_Airspeed_DroneCAN.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public:
     bool get_hygrometer(uint32_t &last_sample_ms, float &temperature, float &humidity) override;
 #endif
 
-    static void subscribe_msgs(AP_DroneCAN* ap_dronecan);
+    static bool subscribe_msgs(AP_DroneCAN* ap_dronecan);
 
     static AP_Airspeed_Backend* probe(AP_Airspeed &_frontend, uint8_t _instance, uint32_t previous_devid);