diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
index 6cbcaa6709da..3fcb7e584a93 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
@@ -622,8 +622,13 @@ static int pinctrl_generic_group_name_to_selector(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev,
 						  const char *function)
 {
 	const struct pinctrl_ops *ops = pctldev->desc->pctlops;
-	int ngroups = ops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 	int selector = 0;
+	int ngroups;
+
+	if (!ops->get_groups_count || !ops->get_group_name)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	ngroups = ops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 
 	/* See if this pctldev has this group */
 	while (selector < ngroups) {
@@ -738,8 +743,15 @@ int pinctrl_get_group_selector(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev,
 			       const char *pin_group)
 {
 	const struct pinctrl_ops *pctlops = pctldev->desc->pctlops;
-	unsigned int ngroups = pctlops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 	unsigned int group_selector = 0;
+	unsigned int ngroups;
+
+	if (!pctlops->get_groups_count || !pctlops->get_group_name) {
+		dev_err(pctldev->dev, "does not support pin groups\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	ngroups = pctlops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 
 	while (group_selector < ngroups) {
 		const char *gname = pctlops->get_group_name(pctldev,
@@ -1801,6 +1813,11 @@ static int pinctrl_groups_show(struct seq_file *s, void *what)
 
 	mutex_lock(&pctldev->mutex);
 
+	if (!ops->get_groups_count || !ops->get_group_name) {
+		mutex_unlock(&pctldev->mutex);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	ngroups = ops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 
 	seq_puts(s, "registered pin groups:\n");
@@ -2081,12 +2098,25 @@ static void pinctrl_remove_device_debugfs(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev)
 static int pinctrl_check_ops(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev)
 {
 	const struct pinctrl_ops *ops = pctldev->desc->pctlops;
+	const struct pinconf_ops *confops = pctldev->desc->confops;
+	bool needs_groups = false;
 
-	if (!ops ||
-	    !ops->get_groups_count ||
-	    !ops->get_group_name)
+	if (!ops)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (pctldev->desc->pmxops)
+		needs_groups = true;
+
+	if (confops && (confops->pin_config_group_get ||
+			confops->pin_config_group_set))
+		needs_groups = true;
+
+	if (needs_groups && (!ops->get_groups_count || !ops->get_group_name)) {
+		dev_err(pctldev->dev,
+			"driver needs group callbacks for mux or group config\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/pinconf.c b/drivers/pinctrl/pinconf.c
index dca963633b5d..81686844dfa5 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/pinconf.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/pinconf.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ void pinconf_show_setting(struct seq_file *s,
 	case PIN_MAP_TYPE_CONFIGS_GROUP:
 		seq_printf(s, "group %s (%d)",
 			   pctlops->get_group_name(pctldev,
-					setting->data.configs.group_or_pin),
+						   setting->data.configs.group_or_pin),
 			   setting->data.configs.group_or_pin);
 		break;
 	default:
@@ -348,8 +348,13 @@ static int pinconf_groups_show(struct seq_file *s, void *what)
 {
 	struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev = s->private;
 	const struct pinctrl_ops *pctlops = pctldev->desc->pctlops;
-	unsigned int ngroups = pctlops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 	unsigned int selector = 0;
+	unsigned int ngroups;
+
+	if (!pctlops->get_groups_count || !pctlops->get_group_name)
+		return 0;
+
+	ngroups = pctlops->get_groups_count(pctldev);
 
 	seq_puts(s, "Pin config settings per pin group\n");
 	seq_puts(s, "Format: group (name): configs\n");