diff --git a/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c b/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
index 428a1de81008..08dfcdc2ac58 100644
--- a/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
+++ b/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ static ssize_t governor_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 	struct devfreq *df = to_devfreq(dev);
 	int ret;
 	char str_governor[DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN + 1];
-	struct devfreq_governor *governor;
+	const struct devfreq_governor *governor, *prev_governor;
 
 	ret = sscanf(buf, "%" __stringify(DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN) "s", str_governor);
 	if (ret != 1)
@@ -1153,12 +1153,24 @@ static ssize_t governor_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
+	prev_governor = df->governor;
 	df->governor = governor;
 	strncpy(df->governor_name, governor->name, DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN);
 	ret = df->governor->event_handler(df, DEVFREQ_GOV_START, NULL);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
 		dev_warn(dev, "%s: Governor %s not started(%d)\n",
 			 __func__, df->governor->name, ret);
+		df->governor = prev_governor;
+		strncpy(df->governor_name, prev_governor->name,
+			DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN);
+		ret = df->governor->event_handler(df, DEVFREQ_GOV_START, NULL);
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_err(dev,
+				"%s: reverting to Governor %s failed (%d)\n",
+				__func__, df->governor_name, ret);
+			df->governor = NULL;
+		}
+	}
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&devfreq_list_lock);