diff --git a/drivers/spi/Kconfig b/drivers/spi/Kconfig
index dc67eda1788a..128892c7e21e 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/spi/Kconfig
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ config SPI_ALTERA
 
 config SPI_ATH79
 	tristate "Atheros AR71XX/AR724X/AR913X SPI controller driver"
-	depends on ATH79 && GPIOLIB
+	depends on ATH79
 	select SPI_BITBANG
 	help
 	  This enables support for the SPI controller present on the
diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi-ath79.c b/drivers/spi/spi-ath79.c
index ed1068ac055f..edf695a359f4 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi-ath79.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi-ath79.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #include <linux/spi/spi.h>
 #include <linux/spi/spi_bitbang.h>
 #include <linux/bitops.h>
-#include <linux/gpio/consumer.h>
 #include <linux/clk.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
 
@@ -67,38 +66,14 @@ static void ath79_spi_chipselect(struct spi_device *spi, int is_active)
 {
 	struct ath79_spi *sp = ath79_spidev_to_sp(spi);
 	int cs_high = (spi->mode & SPI_CS_HIGH) ? is_active : !is_active;
+	u32 cs_bit = AR71XX_SPI_IOC_CS(spi->chip_select);
 
-	if (is_active) {
-		/* set initial clock polarity */
-		if (spi->mode & SPI_CPOL)
-			sp->ioc_base |= AR71XX_SPI_IOC_CLK;
-		else
-			sp->ioc_base &= ~AR71XX_SPI_IOC_CLK;
-
-		ath79_spi_wr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_IOC, sp->ioc_base);
-	}
-
-	if (spi->cs_gpiod) {
-		/*
-		 * SPI chipselect is normally active-low, but
-		 * inversion semantics are handled by gpiolib.
-		 *
-		 * FIXME: is this ever used? The driver doesn't
-		 * set SPI_MASTER_GPIO_SS so this callback should not
-		 * get called if a CS GPIO is found by the SPI core.
-		 */
-		gpiod_set_value_cansleep(spi->cs_gpiod, is_active);
-	} else {
-		u32 cs_bit = AR71XX_SPI_IOC_CS(spi->chip_select);
-
-		if (cs_high)
-			sp->ioc_base |= cs_bit;
-		else
-			sp->ioc_base &= ~cs_bit;
-
-		ath79_spi_wr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_IOC, sp->ioc_base);
-	}
+	if (cs_high)
+		sp->ioc_base |= cs_bit;
+	else
+		sp->ioc_base &= ~cs_bit;
 
+	ath79_spi_wr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_IOC, sp->ioc_base);
 }
 
 static void ath79_spi_enable(struct ath79_spi *sp)
@@ -110,6 +85,9 @@ static void ath79_spi_enable(struct ath79_spi *sp)
 	sp->reg_ctrl = ath79_spi_rr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_CTRL);
 	sp->ioc_base = ath79_spi_rr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_IOC);
 
+	/* clear clk and mosi in the base state */
+	sp->ioc_base &= ~(AR71XX_SPI_IOC_DO | AR71XX_SPI_IOC_CLK);
+
 	/* TODO: setup speed? */
 	ath79_spi_wr(sp, AR71XX_SPI_REG_CTRL, 0x43);
 }