diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-s35390a.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-s35390a.c
index 575bb256eb25..12ed504db94d 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-s35390a.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-s35390a.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(of, s35390a_of_match);
 
 struct s35390a {
 	struct i2c_client *client[8];
-	int twentyfourhour;
 };
 
 static int s35390a_set_reg(struct s35390a *s35390a, int reg, u8  *buf, int len)
@@ -102,9 +101,8 @@ static int s35390a_get_reg(struct s35390a *s35390a, int reg, u8 *buf, int len)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int s35390a_init(struct s35390a *s35390a)
+static int s35390a_init(struct s35390a *s35390a, u8 *sts)
 {
-	u8 buf;
 	int ret;
 	unsigned initcount = 0;
 
@@ -117,17 +115,17 @@ static int s35390a_init(struct s35390a *s35390a)
 	 * The 24H bit is kept over reset, so set it already here.
 	 */
 initialize:
-	buf = S35390A_FLAG_RESET | S35390A_FLAG_24H;
-	ret = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, &buf, 1);
+	*sts = S35390A_FLAG_RESET | S35390A_FLAG_24H;
+	ret = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, sts, 1);
 
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, &buf, 1);
+	ret = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, sts, 1);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (buf & (S35390A_FLAG_POC | S35390A_FLAG_BLD)) {
+	if (*sts & (S35390A_FLAG_POC | S35390A_FLAG_BLD)) {
 		/* Try up to five times to reset the chip */
 		if (initcount < 5) {
 			++initcount;
@@ -181,9 +179,9 @@ static int s35390a_disable_test_mode(struct s35390a *s35390a)
 	return s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, buf, sizeof(buf));
 }
 
-static char s35390a_hr2reg(struct s35390a *s35390a, int hour)
+static char s35390a_hr2reg(int hour, bool twentyfourhour)
 {
-	if (s35390a->twentyfourhour)
+	if (twentyfourhour)
 		return bin2bcd(hour);
 
 	if (hour < 12)
@@ -192,11 +190,11 @@ static char s35390a_hr2reg(struct s35390a *s35390a, int hour)
 	return 0x40 | bin2bcd(hour - 12);
 }
 
-static int s35390a_reg2hr(struct s35390a *s35390a, char reg)
+static int s35390a_reg2hr(char reg, bool twentyfourhour)
 {
 	unsigned hour;
 
-	if (s35390a->twentyfourhour)
+	if (twentyfourhour)
 		return bcd2bin(reg & 0x3f);
 
 	hour = bcd2bin(reg & 0x3f);
@@ -210,7 +208,7 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_set_time(struct device *dev, struct rtc_time *tm)
 {
 	struct i2c_client *client = to_i2c_client(dev);
 	struct s35390a	*s35390a = i2c_get_clientdata(client);
-	int i;
+	int i, err;
 	u8 buf[7], status;
 
 	dev_dbg(&client->dev, "%s: tm is secs=%d, mins=%d, hours=%d mday=%d, "
@@ -218,14 +216,18 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_set_time(struct device *dev, struct rtc_time *tm)
 		tm->tm_min, tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_mday, tm->tm_mon, tm->tm_year,
 		tm->tm_wday);
 
-	if (s35390a_read_status(s35390a, &status) == 1)
-		s35390a_init(s35390a);
+	err = s35390a_read_status(s35390a, &status);
+	if (err == 1)
+		err = s35390a_init(s35390a, &status);
+
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
 
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_YEAR] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_year - 100);
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_MONTH] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_mon + 1);
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_DAY] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_mday);
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_WDAY] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_wday);
-	buf[S35390A_BYTE_HOURS] = s35390a_hr2reg(s35390a, tm->tm_hour);
+	buf[S35390A_BYTE_HOURS] = s35390a_hr2reg(tm->tm_hour, status & S35390A_FLAG_24H);
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_MINS] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_min);
 	buf[S35390A_BYTE_SECS] = bin2bcd(tm->tm_sec);
 
@@ -243,8 +245,11 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_read_time(struct device *dev, struct rtc_time *tm)
 	u8 buf[7], status;
 	int i, err;
 
-	if (s35390a_read_status(s35390a, &status) == 1)
+	err = s35390a_read_status(s35390a, &status);
+	if (err == 1)
 		return -EINVAL;
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
 
 	err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_TIME1, buf, sizeof(buf));
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -256,7 +261,7 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_read_time(struct device *dev, struct rtc_time *tm)
 
 	tm->tm_sec = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_BYTE_SECS]);
 	tm->tm_min = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_BYTE_MINS]);
-	tm->tm_hour = s35390a_reg2hr(s35390a, buf[S35390A_BYTE_HOURS]);
+	tm->tm_hour = s35390a_reg2hr(buf[S35390A_BYTE_HOURS], status & S35390A_FLAG_24H);
 	tm->tm_wday = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_BYTE_WDAY]);
 	tm->tm_mday = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_BYTE_DAY]);
 	tm->tm_mon = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_BYTE_MONTH]) - 1;
@@ -292,7 +297,7 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alm)
 {
 	struct i2c_client *client = to_i2c_client(dev);
 	struct s35390a *s35390a = i2c_get_clientdata(client);
-	u8 buf[3], sts = 0;
+	u8 buf[3], status1, status2 = 0;
 	int err, i;
 
 	dev_dbg(&client->dev, "%s: alm is secs=%d, mins=%d, hours=%d mday=%d, "\
@@ -301,22 +306,22 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alm)
 		alm->time.tm_mon, alm->time.tm_year, alm->time.tm_wday);
 
 	/* disable interrupt (which deasserts the irq line) */
-	err = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &sts, sizeof(sts));
+	err = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &status2, sizeof(status2));
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
 	/* clear pending interrupt (in STATUS1 only), if any */
-	err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, &sts, sizeof(sts));
+	err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS1, &status1, sizeof(status1));
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
 	if (alm->enabled)
-		sts = S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM;
+		status2 = S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM;
 	else
-		sts = S35390A_INT2_MODE_NOINTR;
+		status2 = S35390A_INT2_MODE_NOINTR;
 
 	/* set interrupt mode*/
-	err = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &sts, sizeof(sts));
+	err = s35390a_set_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &status2, sizeof(status2));
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
@@ -325,8 +330,8 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_set_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alm)
 	else
 		buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY] = 0;
 
-	buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] = s35390a_hr2reg(s35390a,
-			alm->time.tm_hour) | 0x80;
+	buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] = s35390a_hr2reg(alm->time.tm_hour,
+						      status1 & S35390A_FLAG_24H) | 0x80;
 	buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS] = bin2bcd(alm->time.tm_min) | 0x80;
 
 	if (alm->time.tm_hour >= 12)
@@ -345,14 +350,20 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_read_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alm)
 {
 	struct i2c_client *client = to_i2c_client(dev);
 	struct s35390a *s35390a = i2c_get_clientdata(client);
-	u8 buf[3], sts;
+	u8 buf[3], status1, status2;
 	int i, err;
 
-	err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &sts, sizeof(sts));
+	err = s35390a_read_status(s35390a, &status1);
+	if (err == 1)
+		return -EINVAL;
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
-	if ((sts & S35390A_INT2_MODE_MASK) != S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM) {
+	err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_STATUS2, &status2, sizeof(status2));
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
+
+	if ((status2 & S35390A_INT2_MODE_MASK) != S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM) {
 		/*
 		 * When the alarm isn't enabled, the register to configure
 		 * the alarm time isn't accessible.
@@ -381,8 +392,8 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_read_alarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *alm)
 
 	if (buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] & 0x80)
 		alm->time.tm_hour =
-			s35390a_reg2hr(s35390a,
-				       buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] & ~0x80);
+			s35390a_reg2hr(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] & ~0x80,
+				       status1 & S35390A_FLAG_24H);
 
 	if (buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS] & 0x80)
 		alm->time.tm_min = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS] & ~0x80);
@@ -416,7 +427,7 @@ static int s35390a_rtc_ioctl(struct device *dev, unsigned int cmd,
 		break;
 	case RTC_VL_CLR:
 		/* update flag and clear register */
-		err = s35390a_init(s35390a);
+		err = s35390a_init(s35390a, &sts);
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
 		break;
@@ -503,11 +514,6 @@ static int s35390a_probe(struct i2c_client *client)
 		return err_read;
 	}
 
-	if (status1 & S35390A_FLAG_24H)
-		s35390a->twentyfourhour = 1;
-	else
-		s35390a->twentyfourhour = 0;
-
 	if (status1 & S35390A_FLAG_INT2) {
 		/* disable alarm (and maybe test mode) */
 		buf = 0;