diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-mmp/time.c b/arch/arm/mach-mmp/time.c
index c65cfc1ad99b..049a65f47b42 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-mmp/time.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-mmp/time.c
@@ -175,13 +175,6 @@ static void __init timer_config(void)
 	__raw_writel(0x2, mmp_timer_base + TMR_CER);
 }
 
-static struct irqaction timer_irq = {
-	.name		= "timer",
-	.flags		= IRQF_TIMER | IRQF_IRQPOLL,
-	.handler	= timer_interrupt,
-	.dev_id		= &ckevt,
-};
-
 void __init mmp_timer_init(int irq, unsigned long rate)
 {
 	timer_config();
@@ -190,7 +183,9 @@ void __init mmp_timer_init(int irq, unsigned long rate)
 
 	ckevt.cpumask = cpumask_of(0);
 
-	setup_irq(irq, &timer_irq);
+	if (request_irq(irq, timer_interrupt, IRQF_TIMER | IRQF_IRQPOLL,
+			"timer", &ckevt))
+		pr_err("Failed to request irq %d (timer)\n", irq);
 
 	clocksource_register_hz(&cksrc, rate);
 	clockevents_config_and_register(&ckevt, rate, MIN_DELTA, MAX_DELTA);