diff --git a/drivers/dax/Kconfig b/drivers/dax/Kconfig
index d656e4c0eb84..3683bb3f2311 100644
--- a/drivers/dax/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/dax/Kconfig
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ config DEV_DAX_CXL
 	tristate "CXL DAX: direct access to CXL RAM regions"
 	depends on CXL_BUS && CXL_REGION && DEV_DAX
 	default CXL_REGION && DEV_DAX
+	depends on CXL_ACPI >= DEV_DAX_HMEM
+	depends on CXL_PCI >= DEV_DAX_HMEM
 	help
 	  CXL RAM regions are either mapped by platform-firmware
 	  and published in the initial system-memory map as "System RAM", mapped
diff --git a/drivers/dax/hmem/hmem.c b/drivers/dax/hmem/hmem.c
index a3d45032355c..85e751675f65 100644
--- a/drivers/dax/hmem/hmem.c
+++ b/drivers/dax/hmem/hmem.c
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ static __init int dax_hmem_init(void)
 {
 	int rc;
 
+	/*
+	 * Ensure that cxl_acpi and cxl_pci have a chance to kick off
+	 * CXL topology discovery at least once before scanning the
+	 * iomem resource tree for IORES_DESC_CXL resources.
+	 */
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEV_DAX_CXL)) {
+		request_module("cxl_acpi");
+		request_module("cxl_pci");
+	}
+
 	rc = platform_driver_register(&dax_hmem_platform_driver);
 	if (rc)
 		return rc;
@@ -165,13 +175,6 @@ static __exit void dax_hmem_exit(void)
 module_init(dax_hmem_init);
 module_exit(dax_hmem_exit);
 
-/* Allow for CXL to define its own dax regions */
-#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_CXL_REGION)
-#if IS_MODULE(CONFIG_CXL_ACPI)
-MODULE_SOFTDEP("pre: cxl_acpi");
-#endif
-#endif
-
 MODULE_ALIAS("platform:hmem*");
 MODULE_ALIAS("platform:hmem_platform*");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("HMEM DAX: direct access to 'specific purpose' memory");