diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
index 55db4c95f0e8..62483a99105c 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ static inline void watchdog_update_worker(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 		ktime_t t = watchdog_next_keepalive(wdd);
 
 		if (t > 0)
-			hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer, t, HRTIMER_MODE_REL);
+			hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer, t,
+				      HRTIMER_MODE_REL_HARD);
 	} else {
 		hrtimer_cancel(&wd_data->timer);
 	}
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ static int __watchdog_ping(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 	if (ktime_after(earliest_keepalive, now)) {
 		hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer,
 			      ktime_sub(earliest_keepalive, now),
-			      HRTIMER_MODE_REL);
+			      HRTIMER_MODE_REL_HARD);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -974,7 +975,7 @@ static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	kthread_init_work(&wd_data->work, watchdog_ping_work);
-	hrtimer_init(&wd_data->timer, CLOCK_MONOTONIC, HRTIMER_MODE_REL);
+	hrtimer_init(&wd_data->timer, CLOCK_MONOTONIC, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_HARD);
 	wd_data->timer.function = watchdog_timer_expired;
 
 	if (wdd->id == 0) {
@@ -1032,7 +1033,8 @@ static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 		__module_get(wdd->ops->owner);
 		get_device(&wd_data->dev);
 		if (handle_boot_enabled)
-			hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer, 0, HRTIMER_MODE_REL);
+			hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer, 0,
+				      HRTIMER_MODE_REL_HARD);
 		else
 			pr_info("watchdog%d running and kernel based pre-userspace handler disabled\n",
 				wdd->id);