diff --git a/drivers/platform/x86/intel/int3472/clk_and_regulator.c b/drivers/platform/x86/intel/int3472/clk_and_regulator.c
index 1cf958983e86..b2342b3d78c7 100644
--- a/drivers/platform/x86/intel/int3472/clk_and_regulator.c
+++ b/drivers/platform/x86/intel/int3472/clk_and_regulator.c
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ int skl_int3472_register_regulator(struct int3472_discrete_device *int3472,
 	cfg.init_data = &init_data;
 	cfg.ena_gpiod = int3472->regulator.gpio;
 
-	int3472->regulator.rdev = regulator_register(&int3472->regulator.rdesc,
+	int3472->regulator.rdev = regulator_register(int3472->dev,
+						     &int3472->regulator.rdesc,
 						     &cfg);
 	if (IS_ERR(int3472->regulator.rdev)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(int3472->regulator.rdev);
diff --git a/drivers/regulator/core.c b/drivers/regulator/core.c
index 1c1710d367d3..c095ca9f01e8 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/core.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/core.c
@@ -5388,6 +5388,7 @@ static struct regulator_coupler generic_regulator_coupler = {
 
 /**
  * regulator_register - register regulator
+ * @dev: the device that drive the regulator
  * @regulator_desc: regulator to register
  * @cfg: runtime configuration for regulator
  *
@@ -5396,7 +5397,8 @@ static struct regulator_coupler generic_regulator_coupler = {
  * or an ERR_PTR() on error.
  */
 struct regulator_dev *
-regulator_register(const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
+regulator_register(struct device *dev,
+		   const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
 		   const struct regulator_config *cfg)
 {
 	const struct regulator_init_data *init_data;
@@ -5405,7 +5407,6 @@ regulator_register(const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
 	struct regulator_dev *rdev;
 	bool dangling_cfg_gpiod = false;
 	bool dangling_of_gpiod = false;
-	struct device *dev;
 	int ret, i;
 
 	if (cfg == NULL)
@@ -5417,8 +5418,7 @@ regulator_register(const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
 		goto rinse;
 	}
 
-	dev = cfg->dev;
-	WARN_ON(!dev);
+	WARN_ON(!dev || !cfg->dev);
 
 	if (regulator_desc->name == NULL || regulator_desc->ops == NULL) {
 		ret = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/drivers/regulator/devres.c b/drivers/regulator/devres.c
index 32823a87fd40..d94db64cd490 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/devres.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/devres.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ struct regulator_dev *devm_regulator_register(struct device *dev,
 	if (!ptr)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	rdev = regulator_register(regulator_desc, config);
+	rdev = regulator_register(dev, regulator_desc, config);
 	if (!IS_ERR(rdev)) {
 		*ptr = rdev;
 		devres_add(dev, ptr);
diff --git a/drivers/regulator/of_regulator.c b/drivers/regulator/of_regulator.c
index e12b681c72e5..bd0c5d1fd647 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/of_regulator.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/of_regulator.c
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ struct regulator_init_data *regulator_of_get_init_data(struct device *dev,
 	struct device_node *child;
 	struct regulator_init_data *init_data = NULL;
 
-	child = regulator_of_get_init_node(dev, desc);
+	child = regulator_of_get_init_node(config->dev, desc);
 	if (!child)
 		return NULL;
 
diff --git a/drivers/regulator/stm32-vrefbuf.c b/drivers/regulator/stm32-vrefbuf.c
index 30ea3bc8ca19..7a454b7b6eab 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/stm32-vrefbuf.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/stm32-vrefbuf.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ static int stm32_vrefbuf_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 						      pdev->dev.of_node,
 						      &stm32_vrefbuf_regu);
 
-	rdev = regulator_register(&stm32_vrefbuf_regu, &config);
+	rdev = regulator_register(&pdev->dev, &stm32_vrefbuf_regu, &config);
 	if (IS_ERR(rdev)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(rdev);
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "register failed with error %d\n", ret);
diff --git a/include/linux/regulator/driver.h b/include/linux/regulator/driver.h
index f9a7461e72b8..d3b4a3d4514a 100644
--- a/include/linux/regulator/driver.h
+++ b/include/linux/regulator/driver.h
@@ -687,7 +687,8 @@ static inline int regulator_err2notif(int err)
 
 
 struct regulator_dev *
-regulator_register(const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
+regulator_register(struct device *dev,
+		   const struct regulator_desc *regulator_desc,
 		   const struct regulator_config *config);
 struct regulator_dev *
 devm_regulator_register(struct device *dev,