diff --git a/drivers/hwmon/pmbus/pmbus_core.c b/drivers/hwmon/pmbus/pmbus_core.c
index 5f8f824d997f..63b616ce3a6e 100644
--- a/drivers/hwmon/pmbus/pmbus_core.c
+++ b/drivers/hwmon/pmbus/pmbus_core.c
@@ -2308,6 +2308,21 @@ static int pmbus_init_common(struct i2c_client *client, struct pmbus_data *data,
 	struct device *dev = &client->dev;
 	int page, ret;
 
+	/*
+	 * Figure out if PEC is enabled before accessing any other register.
+	 * Make sure PEC is disabled, will be enabled later if needed.
+	 */
+	client->flags &= ~I2C_CLIENT_PEC;
+
+	/* Enable PEC if the controller and bus supports it */
+	if (!(data->flags & PMBUS_NO_CAPABILITY)) {
+		ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, PMBUS_CAPABILITY);
+		if (ret >= 0 && (ret & PB_CAPABILITY_ERROR_CHECK)) {
+			if (i2c_check_functionality(client->adapter, I2C_FUNC_SMBUS_PEC))
+				client->flags |= I2C_CLIENT_PEC;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Some PMBus chips don't support PMBUS_STATUS_WORD, so try
 	 * to use PMBUS_STATUS_BYTE instead if that is the case.
@@ -2326,19 +2341,6 @@ static int pmbus_init_common(struct i2c_client *client, struct pmbus_data *data,
 		data->has_status_word = true;
 	}
 
-	/* Make sure PEC is disabled, will be enabled later if needed */
-	client->flags &= ~I2C_CLIENT_PEC;
-
-	/* Enable PEC if the controller and bus supports it */
-	if (!(data->flags & PMBUS_NO_CAPABILITY)) {
-		ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, PMBUS_CAPABILITY);
-		if (ret >= 0 && (ret & PB_CAPABILITY_ERROR_CHECK)) {
-			if (i2c_check_functionality(client->adapter, I2C_FUNC_SMBUS_PEC)) {
-				client->flags |= I2C_CLIENT_PEC;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * Check if the chip is write protected. If it is, we can not clear
 	 * faults, and we should not try it. Also, in that case, writes into