diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-pm8xxx.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-pm8xxx.c
index b45ee2cb2c04..3417eef0aca3 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-pm8xxx.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-pm8xxx.c
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ static int pm8xxx_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alarm)
 {
 	int rc, i;
 	u8 value[NUM_8_BIT_RTC_REGS];
-	unsigned int ctrl_reg;
 	unsigned long secs, irq_flags;
 	struct pm8xxx_rtc *rtc_dd = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 	const struct pm8xxx_rtc_regs *regs = rtc_dd->regs;
@@ -231,6 +230,11 @@ static int pm8xxx_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alarm)
 		secs >>= 8;
 	}
 
+	rc = regmap_update_bits(rtc_dd->regmap, regs->alarm_ctrl,
+				regs->alarm_en, 0);
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&rtc_dd->ctrl_reg_lock, irq_flags);
 
 	rc = regmap_bulk_write(rtc_dd->regmap, regs->alarm_rw, value,
@@ -240,19 +244,11 @@ static int pm8xxx_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alarm)
 		goto rtc_rw_fail;
 	}
 
-	rc = regmap_read(rtc_dd->regmap, regs->alarm_ctrl, &ctrl_reg);
-	if (rc)
-		goto rtc_rw_fail;
-
-	if (alarm->enabled)
-		ctrl_reg |= regs->alarm_en;
-	else
-		ctrl_reg &= ~regs->alarm_en;
-
-	rc = regmap_write(rtc_dd->regmap, regs->alarm_ctrl, ctrl_reg);
-	if (rc) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Write to RTC alarm control register failed\n");
-		goto rtc_rw_fail;
+	if (alarm->enabled) {
+		rc = regmap_update_bits(rtc_dd->regmap, regs->alarm_ctrl,
+					regs->alarm_en, regs->alarm_en);
+		if (rc)
+			goto rtc_rw_fail;
 	}
 
 	dev_dbg(dev, "Alarm Set for h:m:s=%ptRt, y-m-d=%ptRdr\n",