diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/interface.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/interface.c
index 9fe6764a6ac2..8e1b6c017c81 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/interface.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/interface.c
@@ -844,8 +844,8 @@ static int gb_interface_activate_operation(struct gb_interface *intf)
 	case GB_SVC_INTF_TYPE_UNIPRO:
 		intf->type = GB_INTERFACE_TYPE_UNIPRO;
 		dev_err(&intf->dev, "interface type UniPro not supported\n");
-		/* FIXME: check if this is a Toshiba bridge before retrying? */
-		return -EAGAIN;
+		/* FIXME: handle as an error for now */
+		return -ENODEV;
 	case GB_SVC_INTF_TYPE_GREYBUS:
 		intf->type = GB_INTERFACE_TYPE_GREYBUS;
 		break;
@@ -865,12 +865,7 @@ static int gb_interface_hibernate_link(struct gb_interface *intf)
 	return gb_svc_intf_set_power_mode_hibernate(svc, intf->interface_id);
 }
 
-/*
- * Activate an interface.
- *
- * Locking: Caller holds the interface mutex.
- */
-int gb_interface_activate(struct gb_interface *intf)
+static int _gb_interface_activate(struct gb_interface *intf)
 {
 	int ret;
 
@@ -919,6 +914,35 @@ err_vsys_disable:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Activate an interface.
+ *
+ * Locking: Caller holds the interface mutex.
+ */
+int gb_interface_activate(struct gb_interface *intf)
+{
+	int retries = 3;
+	int ret;
+
+	/*
+	 * At present, we assume a UniPro-only module
+	 * to be a Greybus module that failed to send its mailbox
+	 * poke. There is some reason to believe that this is
+	 * because of a bug in the ES3 bootrom.
+	 *
+	 * FIXME: Check if this is a Toshiba bridge before retrying?
+	 */
+	while (retries--) {
+		ret = _gb_interface_activate(intf);
+		if (ret == -ENODEV && intf->type == GB_SVC_INTF_TYPE_UNIPRO)
+			continue;
+
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * Deactivate an interface.
  *
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/module.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/module.c
index 3ae58768cc87..d506fa0b3272 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/module.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/module.c
@@ -143,15 +143,10 @@ static void gb_module_register_interface(struct gb_interface *intf)
 	struct gb_module *module = intf->module;
 	u8 intf_id = intf->interface_id;
 	int ret;
-	int retries = 3;
 
 	mutex_lock(&intf->mutex);
 
-	while (retries--) {
-		ret = gb_interface_activate(intf);
-		if (ret != -EAGAIN)
-			break;
-	}
+	ret = gb_interface_activate(intf);
 	if (ret) {
 		if (intf->type != GB_INTERFACE_TYPE_DUMMY) {
 			dev_err(&module->dev,
@@ -159,19 +154,6 @@ static void gb_module_register_interface(struct gb_interface *intf)
 					intf_id, ret);
 		}
 
-		/*
-		 * -EAGAIN indicates that the Greybus operation
-		 * interface_activate determined the remote interface to be
-		 * UniPro-only.  At present, we assume a UniPro-only module
-		 * to be a Greybus module that failed to send its mailbox
-		 * poke.  There is some reason to believe that this is
-		 * because of a bug in the ES3 bootrom.  If we exhause our
-		 * retries trying to activate such an interface, convert
-		 * the error code back into a "no device" error.
-		 */
-		if (ret == -EAGAIN)
-			ret = -ENODEV;
-
 		gb_interface_add(intf);
 		goto err_unlock;
 	}