diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
index 1704fc84d647..b432b64e307a 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
@@ -2179,6 +2179,7 @@ int i2c_register_driver(struct module *owner, struct i2c_driver *driver)
 	/* add the driver to the list of i2c drivers in the driver core */
 	driver->driver.owner = owner;
 	driver->driver.bus = &i2c_bus_type;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&driver->clients);
 
 	/* When registration returns, the driver core
 	 * will have called probe() for all matching-but-unbound devices.
@@ -2189,7 +2190,6 @@ int i2c_register_driver(struct module *owner, struct i2c_driver *driver)
 
 	pr_debug("driver [%s] registered\n", driver->driver.name);
 
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&driver->clients);
 	/* Walk the adapters that are already present */
 	i2c_for_each_dev(driver, __process_new_driver);