diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/mips-cm.c b/arch/mips/kernel/mips-cm.c
index 85bbe9b96759..42602f30949f 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/mips-cm.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/mips-cm.c
@@ -81,6 +81,13 @@ int mips_cm_probe(void)
 	phys_addr_t addr;
 	u32 base_reg;
 
+	/*
+	 * No need to probe again if we have already been
+	 * here before.
+	 */
+	if (mips_cm_base)
+		return 0;
+
 	addr = mips_cm_phys_base();
 	BUG_ON((addr & CM_GCR_BASE_GCRBASE_MSK) != addr);
 	if (!addr)
diff --git a/arch/mips/mm/sc-mips.c b/arch/mips/mm/sc-mips.c
index 5fa452e8cff9..53ea8391f9bb 100644
--- a/arch/mips/mm/sc-mips.c
+++ b/arch/mips/mm/sc-mips.c
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ static int __init mips_sc_probe_cm3(void)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+void __weak platform_early_l2_init(void)
+{
+}
+
 static inline int __init mips_sc_probe(void)
 {
 	struct cpuinfo_mips *c = &current_cpu_data;
@@ -132,6 +136,12 @@ static inline int __init mips_sc_probe(void)
 	/* Mark as not present until probe completed */
 	c->scache.flags |= MIPS_CACHE_NOT_PRESENT;
 
+	/*
+	 * Do we need some platform specific probing before
+	 * we configure L2?
+	 */
+	platform_early_l2_init();
+
 	if (mips_cm_revision() >= CM_REV_CM3)
 		return mips_sc_probe_cm3();
 
diff --git a/arch/mips/mti-malta/malta-init.c b/arch/mips/mti-malta/malta-init.c
index cec3e187c48f..53c24784a2f7 100644
--- a/arch/mips/mti-malta/malta-init.c
+++ b/arch/mips/mti-malta/malta-init.c
@@ -303,3 +303,10 @@ mips_pci_controller:
 	if (!register_vsmp_smp_ops())
 		return;
 }
+
+void platform_early_l2_init(void)
+{
+	/* L2 configuration lives in the CM3 */
+	if (mips_cm_revision() >= CM_REV_CM3)
+		mips_cm_probe();
+}