diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-mc13783.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-mc13783.c
index 0a978a0e40fc..6a36201178a8 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-mc13783.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-mc13783.c
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ static int __devinit mc13783_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	int ret;
 	struct mc13783_rtc *priv;
+	int rtcrst_pending;
 
 	priv = kzalloc(sizeof(*priv), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!priv)
@@ -177,8 +178,6 @@ static int __devinit mc13783_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	priv->mc13783 = dev_get_drvdata(pdev->dev.parent);
 	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, priv);
 
-	priv->valid = 1;
-
 	mc13783_lock(priv->mc13783);
 
 	ret = mc13783_irq_request(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_RTCRST,
@@ -186,33 +185,37 @@ static int __devinit mc13783_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_reset_irq_request;
 
+	ret = mc13783_irq_status(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_RTCRST,
+			NULL, &rtcrst_pending);
+	if (ret)
+		goto err_reset_irq_status;
+
+	priv->valid = !rtcrst_pending;
+
 	ret = mc13783_irq_request_nounmask(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_1HZ,
 			mc13783_rtc_update_handler, DRIVER_NAME, priv);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_update_irq_request;
 
-	mc13783_unlock(priv->mc13783);
-
 	priv->rtc = rtc_device_register(pdev->name,
 			&pdev->dev, &mc13783_rtc_ops, THIS_MODULE);
-
 	if (IS_ERR(priv->rtc)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(priv->rtc);
 
-		mc13783_lock(priv->mc13783);
-
 		mc13783_irq_free(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_1HZ, priv);
 err_update_irq_request:
 
+err_reset_irq_status:
+
 		mc13783_irq_free(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_RTCRST, priv);
 err_reset_irq_request:
 
-		mc13783_unlock(priv->mc13783);
-
 		platform_set_drvdata(pdev, NULL);
 		kfree(priv);
 	}
 
+	mc13783_unlock(priv->mc13783);
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -220,10 +223,10 @@ static int __devexit mc13783_rtc_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	struct mc13783_rtc *priv = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
 
-	rtc_device_unregister(priv->rtc);
-
 	mc13783_lock(priv->mc13783);
 
+	rtc_device_unregister(priv->rtc);
+
 	mc13783_irq_free(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_1HZ, priv);
 	mc13783_irq_free(priv->mc13783, MC13783_IRQ_RTCRST, priv);