diff --git a/drivers/rtc/class.c b/drivers/rtc/class.c
index 09b4437b3e61..39013867cbd6 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/class.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/class.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ struct rtc_device *rtc_device_register(const char *name, struct device *dev,
 	err = __rtc_read_alarm(rtc, &alrm);
 
 	if (!err && !rtc_valid_tm(&alrm.time))
-		rtc_set_alarm(rtc, &alrm);
+		rtc_initialize_alarm(rtc, &alrm);
 
 	strlcpy(rtc->name, name, RTC_DEVICE_NAME_SIZE);
 	dev_set_name(&rtc->dev, "rtc%d", id);
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/interface.c b/drivers/rtc/interface.c
index 8ec6b069a7f5..b2fea80dfb65 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/interface.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/interface.c
@@ -375,6 +375,32 @@ int rtc_set_alarm(struct rtc_device *rtc, struct rtc_wkalrm *alarm)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtc_set_alarm);
 
+/* Called once per device from rtc_device_register */
+int rtc_initialize_alarm(struct rtc_device *rtc, struct rtc_wkalrm *alarm)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	err = rtc_valid_tm(&alarm->time);
+	if (err != 0)
+		return err;
+
+	err = mutex_lock_interruptible(&rtc->ops_lock);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	rtc->aie_timer.node.expires = rtc_tm_to_ktime(alarm->time);
+	rtc->aie_timer.period = ktime_set(0, 0);
+	if (alarm->enabled) {
+		rtc->aie_timer.enabled = 1;
+		timerqueue_add(&rtc->timerqueue, &rtc->aie_timer.node);
+	}
+	mutex_unlock(&rtc->ops_lock);
+	return err;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtc_initialize_alarm);
+
+
+
 int rtc_alarm_irq_enable(struct rtc_device *rtc, unsigned int enabled)
 {
 	int err = mutex_lock_interruptible(&rtc->ops_lock);
diff --git a/include/linux/rtc.h b/include/linux/rtc.h
index 2ca7e8a78060..877ece45426f 100644
--- a/include/linux/rtc.h
+++ b/include/linux/rtc.h
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ extern int rtc_read_alarm(struct rtc_device *rtc,
 			struct rtc_wkalrm *alrm);
 extern int rtc_set_alarm(struct rtc_device *rtc,
 				struct rtc_wkalrm *alrm);
+extern int rtc_initialize_alarm(struct rtc_device *rtc,
+				struct rtc_wkalrm *alrm);
 extern void rtc_update_irq(struct rtc_device *rtc,
 			unsigned long num, unsigned long events);