diff --git a/drivers/clocksource/timer-tegra186.c b/drivers/clocksource/timer-tegra186.c
index dd1d1a0dd63e..78600ddeb1c6 100644
--- a/drivers/clocksource/timer-tegra186.c
+++ b/drivers/clocksource/timer-tegra186.c
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@
 #define WDTUR 0x00c
 #define  WDTUR_UNLOCK_PATTERN 0x0000c45a
 
+#define TEGRA186_KERNEL_WDT_TIMEOUT 120
+
 /* WDT security configuration registers */
 #define WDTSCR(x)		(0xf02c + (x) * 4)
 #define  WDTSCR_SEC_WEN		BIT(28)
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ struct tegra186_wdt {
 	void __iomem *regs;
 	unsigned int index;
 	bool locked;
+	bool is_kernel_wdt;
 
 	struct tegra186_tmr *tmr;
 };
@@ -182,6 +185,10 @@ static void tegra186_wdt_enable(struct tegra186_wdt *wdt)
 		value &= ~WDTCR_PERIOD_MASK;
 		value |= WDTCR_PERIOD(1);
 
+		/* enable local interrupt for kernel watchdog */
+		if (wdt->is_kernel_wdt)
+			value |= WDTCR_LOCAL_INT_ENABLE;
+
 		/* enable system POR reset */
 		value |= WDTCR_SYSTEM_POR_RESET_ENABLE;
 
@@ -219,6 +226,16 @@ static int tegra186_wdt_ping(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static irqreturn_t tegra186_wdt_irq(int irq, void *data)
+{
+	struct tegra186_wdt *wdt = data;
+
+	tegra186_wdt_disable(wdt);
+	tegra186_wdt_enable(wdt);
+
+	return IRQ_HANDLED;
+}
+
 static int tegra186_wdt_set_timeout(struct watchdog_device *wdd,
 				    unsigned int timeout)
 {
@@ -361,10 +378,6 @@ static struct tegra186_wdt *tegra186_wdt_create(struct tegra186_timer *tegra,
 	if (err < 0)
 		return ERR_PTR(err);
 
-	err = devm_watchdog_register_device(tegra->dev, &wdt->base);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return ERR_PTR(err);
-
 	return wdt;
 }
 
@@ -446,9 +459,11 @@ static int tegra186_timer_usec_init(struct tegra186_timer *tegra)
 
 static int tegra186_timer_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
+	struct tegra186_wdt *kernel_wdt = NULL;
 	struct device *dev = &pdev->dev;
 	struct tegra186_timer *tegra;
 	unsigned int i;
+	int irq;
 	int err;
 
 	tegra = devm_kzalloc(dev, sizeof(*tegra), GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -467,6 +482,8 @@ static int tegra186_timer_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
+	irq = err;
+
 	tegra->wdts = devm_kcalloc(dev, tegra->soc->num_wdts, sizeof(*tegra->wdts), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!tegra->wdts)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -481,6 +498,17 @@ static int tegra186_timer_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		if (IS_ERR(tegra->wdts[i]))
 			return dev_err_probe(dev, PTR_ERR(tegra->wdts[i]),
 					     "failed to create WDT%u\n", i);
+
+		/* Reserve the first accessible WDT for the Kernel. */
+		if (!kernel_wdt) {
+			kernel_wdt = tegra->wdts[i];
+			kernel_wdt->is_kernel_wdt = true;
+		} else {
+			err = devm_watchdog_register_device(dev, &tegra->wdts[i]->base);
+			if (err < 0)
+				return dev_err_probe(dev, err,
+						     "failed to register WDT%u\n", i);
+		}
 	}
 
 	err = tegra186_timer_tsc_init(tegra);
@@ -501,8 +529,22 @@ static int tegra186_timer_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto unregister_osc;
 	}
 
+	if (kernel_wdt) {
+		err = devm_request_irq(dev, irq, tegra186_wdt_irq, 0,
+				       dev_name(dev), kernel_wdt);
+		if (err < 0) {
+			dev_err(dev, "failed to request kernel WDT IRQ: %d\n", err);
+			goto unregister_usec;
+		}
+
+		tegra186_wdt_set_timeout(&kernel_wdt->base, TEGRA186_KERNEL_WDT_TIMEOUT);
+		tegra186_wdt_enable(kernel_wdt);
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 
+unregister_usec:
+	clocksource_unregister(&tegra->usec);
 unregister_osc:
 	clocksource_unregister(&tegra->osc);
 unregister_tsc:
@@ -525,8 +567,10 @@ static int __maybe_unused tegra186_timer_suspend(struct device *dev)
 	unsigned int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < tegra->soc->num_wdts; i++) {
-		if (tegra->wdts[i] && watchdog_active(&tegra->wdts[i]->base))
-			tegra186_wdt_disable(tegra->wdts[i]);
+		struct tegra186_wdt *wdt = tegra->wdts[i];
+
+		if (wdt && (wdt->is_kernel_wdt || watchdog_active(&wdt->base)))
+			tegra186_wdt_disable(wdt);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -538,8 +582,10 @@ static int __maybe_unused tegra186_timer_resume(struct device *dev)
 	unsigned int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < tegra->soc->num_wdts; i++) {
-		if (tegra->wdts[i] && watchdog_active(&tegra->wdts[i]->base))
-			tegra186_wdt_enable(tegra->wdts[i]);
+		struct tegra186_wdt *wdt = tegra->wdts[i];
+
+		if (wdt && (wdt->is_kernel_wdt || watchdog_active(&wdt->base)))
+			tegra186_wdt_enable(wdt);
 	}
 
 	return 0;