diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
index b7d750b24e49..0ad1c393c00e 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
@@ -275,15 +275,18 @@ static int watchdog_start(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 	set_bit(_WDOG_KEEPALIVE, &wd_data->status);
 
 	started_at = ktime_get();
-	if (watchdog_hw_running(wdd) && wdd->ops->ping)
-		err = wdd->ops->ping(wdd);
-	else
+	if (watchdog_hw_running(wdd) && wdd->ops->ping) {
+		err = __watchdog_ping(wdd);
+		if (err == 0)
+			set_bit(WDOG_ACTIVE, &wdd->status);
+	} else {
 		err = wdd->ops->start(wdd);
-	if (err == 0) {
-		set_bit(WDOG_ACTIVE, &wdd->status);
-		wd_data->last_keepalive = started_at;
-		wd_data->last_hw_keepalive = started_at;
-		watchdog_update_worker(wdd);
+		if (err == 0) {
+			set_bit(WDOG_ACTIVE, &wdd->status);
+			wd_data->last_keepalive = started_at;
+			wd_data->last_hw_keepalive = started_at;
+			watchdog_update_worker(wdd);
+		}
 	}
 
 	return err;