diff --git a/drivers/serial/uartlite.c b/drivers/serial/uartlite.c
index 10e0da97811e..c00a627ef89e 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/uartlite.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/uartlite.c
@@ -413,16 +413,75 @@ static struct uart_driver ulite_uart_driver = {
 #endif
 };
 
+static int __devinit ulite_assign(struct device *dev, int id, u32 base, int irq)
+{
+	struct uart_port *port;
+	int rc;
+
+	/* if id = -1; then scan for a free id and use that */
+	if (id < 0) {
+		for (id = 0; id < ULITE_NR_UARTS; id++)
+			if (ulite_ports[id].mapbase == 0)
+				break;
+	}
+	if (id < 0 || id >= ULITE_NR_UARTS) {
+		dev_err(dev, "%s%i too large\n", ULITE_NAME, id);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (ulite_ports[id].mapbase) {
+		dev_err(dev, "cannot assign to %s%i; it is already in use\n",
+			ULITE_NAME, id);
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
+	port = &ulite_ports[id];
+
+	spin_lock_init(&port->lock);
+	port->fifosize = 16;
+	port->regshift = 2;
+	port->iotype = UPIO_MEM;
+	port->iobase = 1; /* mark port in use */
+	port->mapbase = base;
+	port->membase = NULL;
+	port->ops = &ulite_ops;
+	port->irq = irq;
+	port->flags = UPF_BOOT_AUTOCONF;
+	port->dev = dev;
+	port->type = PORT_UNKNOWN;
+	port->line = id;
+
+	dev_set_drvdata(dev, port);
+
+	/* Register the port */
+	rc = uart_add_one_port(&ulite_uart_driver, port);
+	if (rc) {
+		dev_err(dev, "uart_add_one_port() failed; err=%i\n", rc);
+		port->mapbase = 0;
+		dev_set_drvdata(dev, NULL);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int __devinit ulite_release(struct device *dev)
+{
+	struct uart_port *port = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	if (port) {
+		rc = uart_remove_one_port(&ulite_uart_driver, port);
+		dev_set_drvdata(dev, NULL);
+		port->mapbase = 0;
+	}
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
 static int __devinit ulite_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	struct resource *res, *res2;
-	struct uart_port *port;
-
-	if (pdev->id < 0 || pdev->id >= ULITE_NR_UARTS)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	if (ulite_ports[pdev->id].membase)
-		return -EBUSY;
 
 	res = platform_get_resource(pdev, IORESOURCE_MEM, 0);
 	if (!res)
@@ -432,40 +491,12 @@ static int __devinit ulite_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (!res2)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
-	port = &ulite_ports[pdev->id];
-
-	port->fifosize	= 16;
-	port->regshift	= 2;
-	port->iotype	= UPIO_MEM;
-	port->iobase	= 1; /* mark port in use */
-	port->mapbase	= res->start;
-	port->membase	= NULL;
-	port->ops	= &ulite_ops;
-	port->irq	= res2->start;
-	port->flags	= UPF_BOOT_AUTOCONF;
-	port->dev	= &pdev->dev;
-	port->type	= PORT_UNKNOWN;
-	port->line	= pdev->id;
-
-	uart_add_one_port(&ulite_uart_driver, port);
-	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, port);
-
-	return 0;
+	return ulite_assign(&pdev->dev, pdev->id, res->start, res2->start);
 }
 
 static int ulite_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
-	struct uart_port *port = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
-
-	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, NULL);
-
-	if (port)
-		uart_remove_one_port(&ulite_uart_driver, port);
-
-	/* mark port as free */
-	port->membase = NULL;
-
-	return 0;
+	return ulite_release(&pdev->dev);
 }
 
 static struct platform_driver ulite_platform_driver = {