diff --git a/drivers/acpi/ec.c b/drivers/acpi/ec.c
index 62068a5e814f..ae3d6d152633 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/ec.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/ec.c
@@ -1741,7 +1741,7 @@ error:
  * functioning ECDT EC first in order to handle the events.
  * https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=115021
  */
-int __init acpi_ec_ecdt_start(void)
+static int __init acpi_ec_ecdt_start(void)
 {
 	acpi_handle handle;
 
@@ -2003,20 +2003,17 @@ static inline void acpi_ec_query_exit(void)
 int __init acpi_ec_init(void)
 {
 	int result;
+	int ecdt_fail, dsdt_fail;
 
 	/* register workqueue for _Qxx evaluations */
 	result = acpi_ec_query_init();
 	if (result)
-		goto err_exit;
-	/* Now register the driver for the EC */
-	result = acpi_bus_register_driver(&acpi_ec_driver);
-	if (result)
-		goto err_exit;
+		return result;
 
-err_exit:
-	if (result)
-		acpi_ec_query_exit();
-	return result;
+	/* Drivers must be started after acpi_ec_query_init() */
+	ecdt_fail = acpi_ec_ecdt_start();
+	dsdt_fail = acpi_bus_register_driver(&acpi_ec_driver);
+	return ecdt_fail && dsdt_fail ? -ENODEV : 0;
 }
 
 /* EC driver currently not unloadable */
diff --git a/drivers/acpi/internal.h b/drivers/acpi/internal.h
index 58dd7ab3c653..3f5af4d7a739 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/internal.h
+++ b/drivers/acpi/internal.h
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ typedef int (*acpi_ec_query_func) (void *data);
 int acpi_ec_init(void);
 int acpi_ec_ecdt_probe(void);
 int acpi_ec_dsdt_probe(void);
-int acpi_ec_ecdt_start(void);
 void acpi_ec_block_transactions(void);
 void acpi_ec_unblock_transactions(void);
 int acpi_ec_add_query_handler(struct acpi_ec *ec, u8 query_bit,
diff --git a/drivers/acpi/scan.c b/drivers/acpi/scan.c
index 33897298f03e..70fd5502c284 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/scan.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/scan.c
@@ -2084,7 +2084,6 @@ int __init acpi_scan_init(void)
 
 	acpi_gpe_apply_masked_gpes();
 	acpi_update_all_gpes();
-	acpi_ec_ecdt_start();
 
 	acpi_scan_initialized = true;