diff --git a/drivers/ide/Kconfig b/drivers/ide/Kconfig
index 0524f17175fd..abcabb295592 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/ide/Kconfig
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ if IDE
 
 config IDE_MAX_HWIFS
 	int "Max IDE interfaces"
-	depends on ALPHA || SUPERH || IA64
+	depends on ALPHA || SUPERH || IA64 || EMBEDDED
 	default 4
 	help
 	  This is the maximum number of IDE hardware interfaces that will
diff --git a/drivers/ide/setup-pci.c b/drivers/ide/setup-pci.c
index eb0945284acc..157fe93ea342 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/setup-pci.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/setup-pci.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ static ide_hwif_t *ide_match_hwif(unsigned long io_base, u8 bootable, const char
 				return hwif;	/* pick an unused entry */
 		}
 	}
-	for (h = 0; h < 2; ++h) {
+	for (h = 0; h < 2 && h < MAX_HWIFS; ++h) {
 		hwif = ide_hwifs + h;
 		if (hwif->chipset == ide_unknown)
 			return hwif;	/* pick an unused entry */
diff --git a/include/linux/ide.h b/include/linux/ide.h
index 11608cd03d4c..bdb2733208c5 100644
--- a/include/linux/ide.h
+++ b/include/linux/ide.h
@@ -251,7 +251,8 @@ static inline void ide_std_init_ports(hw_regs_t *hw,
 
 #include <asm/ide.h>
 
-#ifndef MAX_HWIFS
+#if !defined(MAX_HWIFS) || defined(CONFIG_EMBEDDED)
+#undef MAX_HWIFS
 #define MAX_HWIFS	CONFIG_IDE_MAX_HWIFS
 #endif